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Private companies electrified the US. This model was pioneered by Samuel Insull. https://www.masterresource.org/insull-samuel/insull-rural-electrification/ ht

Private companies electrified the US. This model was pioneered by Samuel Insull. https://www.masterresource.org/insull-samuel/insull-rural-electrification/ https://www.masterresource.org/insull-samuel/insull-rural-el... FDR didn't like competition for attention, and hounded Insull in court for years.

dredmorbius 7y ago
Private companies electrified ... specific high-profit regions of the United States. They were profoundly indifferent to most rural regions, leading to the Rural Electrification Act (1936). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rural_Electrification_Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rural_Electrification_Act Thomas Edison's first power plant, the Pearl Street Power Station (1882) powered just 82 customers initially, largely commercial and industrial users. Large-scale electrification within the US was developed through public works including the Tenessee Valley Authority, Bonneville Power Administration, Hoover Dam, and numerous others. Four federal regional power administrations, the BPA, Southeastern, Southwestern, and Western Area Power Administrations, still exist. Many rural regions are served by electric (and telephone) cooperatives: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_utility_cooperatives#US_electric_cooperatives https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_utility_cooperatives#U...
- jhayward 7y ago
  Texas was largely transformed by the Rural Electrification project of LBJ. Wouldn't have happened without the government.
- tomohawk 7y ago
  Samuel Insull developed the public utility model and proved it to work by extending publicly regulated utilities into 30 states prior to the advent of the New Deal. Insull was put out of business by New York bankers who wanted to take over his business. http://blog.heartland.org/2013/07/samuel-insull-getting-the-story-straight/ http://blog.heartland.org/2013/07/samuel-insull-getting-the-... FDR needed enemies to blame to get his New Deal, and he had Insull hounded in the courts. Insull was found not guilty of any wrongdoing, but died penniless. If you want to know history, you have to find better sources than wikipedia. There are plenty of books about this great man and this interesting period of history.
  - dredmorbius 7y ago
    Wikipedia isn't my source. It is, however, a reliable reference for well-established facts. Such as the identity and general background of government utilities.

dredmorbius 7y ago

Private companies electrified ... specific high-profit regions of the United States. They were profoundly indifferent to most rural regions, leading to the Rural Electrification Act (1936). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rural_Electrification_Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rural_Electrification_Act Thomas Edison's first power plant, the Pearl Street Power Station (1882) powered just 82 customers initially, largely commercial and industrial users. Large-scale electrification within the US was developed through public works including the Tenessee Valley Authority, Bonneville Power Administration, Hoover Dam, and numerous others. Four federal regional power administrations, the BPA, Southeastern, Southwestern, and Western Area Power Administrations, still exist. Many rural regions are served by electric (and telephone) cooperatives: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_utility_cooperatives#US_electric_cooperatives https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_utility_cooperatives#U...

jhayward 7y ago
Texas was largely transformed by the Rural Electrification project of LBJ. Wouldn't have happened without the government.
tomohawk 7y ago
Samuel Insull developed the public utility model and proved it to work by extending publicly regulated utilities into 30 states prior to the advent of the New Deal. Insull was put out of business by New York bankers who wanted to take over his business. http://blog.heartland.org/2013/07/samuel-insull-getting-the-story-straight/ http://blog.heartland.org/2013/07/samuel-insull-getting-the-... FDR needed enemies to blame to get his New Deal, and he had Insull hounded in the courts. Insull was found not guilty of any wrongdoing, but died penniless. If you want to know history, you have to find better sources than wikipedia. There are plenty of books about this great man and this interesting period of history.
- dredmorbius 7y ago
  Wikipedia isn't my source. It is, however, a reliable reference for well-established facts. Such as the identity and general background of government utilities.