On Mon, 25 Nov 2013 22:03:35 -0500, clare wrote:

I have given you a couple references that "prove" the ground is not
GENERALLY used as the return...
Just admit it. You don't like to be "wrong" - but in this case, you
and the sources you reference ARE.

People here know me. I'm civil. I stick to facts. I document them.

As far as *I* can tell, the earth is used as the return path for
electrons back to the power company in the typical US power grid.

Here are some references which say this sentence, verbatim:
"The power company essentially uses the earth as one of
the wires in the power system. The earth is a pretty good
conductor and it is huge, so it makes a good return path
for electrons."

Can all these people, courses, and companies really be dead wrong?

PowerPoint presentation from Fundamentals of Electricity & Electronics:
http://freezow.weebly.com/uploads/2/...e2023_wk06.ppt

EE Class at Smith College in Massachusetts:
http://www.science.smith.edu/~jcarde...ecPwr_HSW.html

Word document on "How Power Grids Work" for a Massachusetts school:
http://www.rcmahar.org/ahartshorn/fi...le-and-Qs.docx

Power Generation Specialists:
http://www.galpower.com/en/resources...owitworks.aspx

Green Lantern Electric Company in California:
http://www.green-lantern-electric.com/Electricity.html

Word document on "How Electricity Works" by a Radio Club:
http://www.rcwa.org/Training/How%20E...y%20Basics.doc

Physics Forum:
http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=429670

Megger Electricity Forum:
http://www.electricityforum.com/elec...-it-works.html

Electrical energy monitoring company in Delewa
http://www.powerkuff.com/Download_Electricity.pdf

Elements of Electricity
http://sandytechprod.wikispaces.com/...lectricity.pdf

Word document from Covenent University
http://eprints.covenantuniversity.ed.../1/BLD223.docx

etc.