Wireless Electricity Is on the Horizon—And It Could ‘Beam’ Power Right to Your House

Ever since an engineer flipped a switch at Pearl Power Station in downtown Manhattan in 1882, electricity transmission around the world has traveled from point A to point B using wires. Whether through high-power transmission lines, low power distribution lines, or just the 120-volt socket in your kitchen, it’s wires all the way down. While this may be fine for our homes, businesses, and iPhones, electric poles and wires don’t make sense for every situation, now or in the future. Maybe it’s simply too cost prohibitive to run cumbersome transmission lines or fiber optic cables to a remote island. Then...