Nebraska Public Power: Electrifying Rural America | Iconic Nebraska

Explore the unique history of Nebraska as the only U.S. state entirely served by publicly owned utilities. Examine the challenges rural communities faced in the early 20th century, when investor-owned companies considered it unprofitable to provide electricity to farms. Meet Nebraska Senator George Norris, a key advocate for federal financing of irrigation and hydroelectric power projects. His efforts laid the groundwork for President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s creation of the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) in the 1930s, a transformative program designed to fund public power companies and bring electricity to rural America.

NOTE: The closed captions and transcript are also available in Spanish.