Rural Electrification Act
Senate Agriculture and Forestry, House Interstate and Foreign Commerce on May 20, 1936 |
The Rural Electrification Act of 1936, enacted on May 20, 1936, provided federal loans for the installation of
The funding was channeled through cooperative electric power companies, hundreds of which still exist today.
History
On May 11, 1935, President Roosevelt issued
Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn was a major proponent of the REA, which he helped pass in 1936 as Chairman of the House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee. Rayburn stated in 1959 that ninety percent of farm homes in the U.S. were electrified, compared to three percent in the early 1930s.[6]
Technical issues
In the 1930s, the provision of power to remote areas was not thought to be economically feasible.[7] A 2300 volt distribution system was then used in cities. This relatively low voltage could be carried only about 4 miles before the voltage drop became unacceptable. REA cooperatives used a 6900 volt distribution network (soon changed to the present-day 12,470/7200V 4-wire Y system), which could support much longer runs (up to about 40 miles). Despite requiring more expensive transformers at each home, the overall system cost was manageable.[8]
Wiring homes and farms
REA crews traveled through the American countryside, bringing teams of electricians along with them. The electricians added wiring to houses and barns to utilize the newly available power provided by the line crews. A standard REA installation in a house (post World War II) consisted of:
- A 60 amp, 230 volt fuse panel, with:
- A 60 amp range circuit
- A 20 amp kitchen circuit
- Two or three 15 amp lighting circuits
A ceiling-mounted
.Many of these original installations still exist today, though most have been augmented to support a greater number and variety of appliances.
Later amendments
Some amendments to the Rural Electrification Act include:
- 1944: loan terms increased to 35 years, the act is made permanent[9]
- 1949: extended the act to allow loans to telephone companies wishing to extend their connections to unconnected rural areas[10]
- 1993: Provisions to restructure the direct loan programs for rural electricity, telephone cooperatives, and energy conservation market[11]
- December 8, 1993: "North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act"—The "Buy American" provision to now include Mexico and Canada.
- 2008: Provisions for access to rural broadband telecommunications network and rural internet
- 2014: broadband network
| Date of Enactment | Public Law Number | U.S. Statute Citation | U.S. Legislative Bill | U.S. Presidential Administration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 21, 1944 | P.L. 78-425 | 58 Stat. 734 | H.R. 4278 | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| October 28, 1949 | P.L. 81-423 | 63 Stat. 948 | H.R. 2960 | Harry S. Truman |
| June 15, 1955 | P.L. 84–70 | 69 Stat. 131 | S. 153 | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| October 23, 1962 | P.L. 87-862 | 76 Stat. 1140 | H.R. 10708 | John F. Kennedy |
| May 7, 1971 | P.L. 92–12 | 85 Stat. 29 | S. 70 | Richard M. Nixon |
| June 30, 1972 | P.L. 92-324 | 86 Stat. 390 | H.R. 14423 | Richard M. Nixon |
| May 11, 1973 | P.L. 93–32 | 87 Stat. 65 | S. 394 | Richard M. Nixon |
| November 4, 1975 | P.L. 94–124 | 89 Stat. 677 | H.R. 4799 | Gerald R. Ford |
| October 20, 1976 | P.L. 94-570 | 90 Stat. 2701 | H.R. 12207 | Gerald R. Ford |
| May 25, 1984 | P.L. 98-300 | 98 Stat. 215 | H.R. 2211 | Ronald W. Reagan |
| October 21, 1992 | P.L. 102–428 | 106 Stat. 2183 | H.R. 5237 | George H.W. Bush |
| November 1, 1993 | P.L. 103–129 | 107 Stat. 1356 | H.R. 3123 | William J. Clinton |
| December 17, 1993 | P.L. 103–201 | 107 Stat. 2342 | H.R. 3514 | William J. Clinton |
| June 18, 2008 | P.L. 110–246 | 122 Stat. 1651 | H.R. 6124 | George W. Bush |
| February 7, 2014 | P.L. 113–79 | 128 Stat. 649 | H.R. 2642 | Barack H. Obama II |
See also
References
- ^ Tim Sablik, “Electrifying Rural America”, ‘’Econ Focus’’, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, First Quarter 2020.
- ^ Rural Electrification Act. Ohio History Central.
- ^ Peters, Gerhard; Woolley, John T. "Franklin D. Roosevelt: "Executive Order 7037 Establishing the Rural Electrification Administration.," May 11, 1935". The American Presidency Project. University of California - Santa Barbara. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
- ^ "RJohn Elliott Rankin (1936)". Mississippi Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
- ^ "RURAL ELECTRIFICATION ACT (1936)". livingnewdeal.org/. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
- ^ Retrieved 25 December 2018.
- ^ "Celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the Rural Electrification Administration". USDA. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
- ^ "The Rural Electrification Act". Harrison Rural Electrification Association, Inc. Retrieved 2021-11-09.
- ^ Peters, Gerhard; Woolley, John T. "Franklin D. Roosevelt: "Statement on Signing a Rural Electrification Bill.," September 22, 1944". The American Presidency Project. University of California - Santa Barbara. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
- ^ Peters, Gerhard; Woolley, John T. "Harry S. Truman: "Statement by the President Upon Signing Bill Providing for Improved Rural Telephone Facilities.," October 28, 1949". The American Presidency Project. University of California - Santa Barbara. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
- ^ Peters, Gerhard; Woolley, John T. "William J. Clinton: "Statement on Signing the Rural Electrification Loan Restructuring Act of 1993," November 1, 1993". The American Presidency Project. University of California - Santa Barbara. Retrieved 4 July 2016.