Charles Steinmetz fled to Switzerland from Germany (now Poland) because of his political activities. He had just completed his doctorate but left before receiving his diploma. After a year, he moved to New York, first taking a job as a draftsman and quickly being promoted to doing independent research. He solved the problem of residual magnetism in electric generators and motors that caused a power loss. The firm he was with merged with General Electric Company, making Steinmetz its consulting engineer. Results he announced in 1893 concerning theoretical studies of alternating current (AC) helped make AC commercially feasible. His study of lightning led to the development of lightning arrestors for the protection of electric power lines.