The Edison Electric Light Company was established to develop and market electric lighting solutions, a revolutionary idea led by inventor Thomas Edison. Located in New York City, the company emerged as a response to the growing urban demand for safer and more efficient lighting alternatives, primarily to replace the increasingly inadequate gas lamps that lit the streets of cities across the United States. Edison, fueled by a vision of a brighter and more productive society, sought to harness electricity as a practical energy source in daily life. On October 15, 1878, Edison showcased his first successful incandescent light bulb at a demonstration in Menlo Park, New Jersey, which paved the way for commercial applications and the successful bid to roll out electric utilities in major urban centers.

As the company began operation, its initiatives included developing electrical distribution systems and improving the design and longevity of incandescent bulbs. Edison's innovative approach emphasized not just the invention of the light bulb, but the infrastructure needed to make electric lighting reliable and accessible. His inventions in this period would contribute significantly to the advances in electrical engineering, leading to significant breakthroughs in electrical appliances and systems.

The company's initial forays laid a foundation for future developments in electrical production, and it played a crucial role in the expansion of electric lighting in homes and businesses, thereby transforming daily life in America. Edison's strategic partnerships and promotions helped solidify electric lighting as the new standard, setting in motion a century of technological growth that would usher in the modern age of electricity.