Competition
The "Battle of the Currents" involved a lot of competition. One product electricity competed against was kerosene lamps. Within electricity, AC competed against DC and vice versa.
Money
A lot of the "Battle of the Currents" revolved around money. Westinghouse didn't have enough money to fight Morgan and Morgan couldn't decide whether or not to invest his money in Edison.
Fear
Fear was evident during the "Battle of the Currents". The general public feared electricity because they didn't know how it worked or how reliable it was. What didn't help the peoples' fear was John D. Rockefeller's smear campaign.
Tesla vs. Edison Electricity vs. kerosene A money sign symbolizing the large role of money in the "Battle of the Currents"
Controversy
Rockefeller was the king of the Kerosene Industry. In order to keep his company profitable, he attempted to make the public fear electricity. Though minimal, the effects of his campaign made people ask themselves if electricity was truly safe.