The late author Mary Shelley would be shocked if she visited Bonneville Power Administration’s ultra-high-voltage lab in Vancouver, Washington. BPA electrical engineers don’t have to wait for a passing lightning storm the way Dr. Frankenstein did, but instead have specialized equipment that can generate lightning impulses up to 5.6 million volts. Rather than creating a modern Prometheus, BPA’s lab tests equipment to help ensure the reliability of the Northwest’s high-voltage electric grid. It can be scary in the dark, which is why the skilled engineers in the lab work so hard to help keep the lights on. www.bpa.gov/about/newsroom/ne...