this post was submitted on 01 Feb 2026
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Yep, exactly why it works so much better over distance than DC.
That's not correct. What you need for long distance is high voltage, and it's easier/cheaper to step up/down AC voltage than DC. If conversion costs were eliminated, DC is actually more efficient.
If you get to even longer distances of over 300+ miles, DC's efficiency becomes worth the additional cost of conversion. There are many HVDC interregional connections.
At distances closer to a quarter wavelength you can also have some pretty gnarly reactions if a line goes down. That's why stuff like the Kahora Bassa power plant uses HVDC for transmission.