A Legacy of Service: 1936-1946

For 90 years, People’s Energy Cooperative has provided electric service to the rural communities and areas around Rochester. Throughout 2026, we will share stories from our rich history to better understand where we have been and where we are going.

Prior to 1935

There was little reason to be optimistic in rural America during the early 1930s as the country was experiencing the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. However, on May 11, 1935, President Roosevelt signed the Rural Electrification Act into law. It was an emergency measure not only designed to help electrify rural America but also provide thousands with employment.

December 9, 1935

The Articles of Incorporation were signed to form People’s Cooperative Association of Olmsted County.  As operations began in 1936, signing up members was a challenge. Many were skeptical of the project or concerned with making the investment. They reasoned that if the power companies felt it would not be profitable to send power lines into rural areas, a cooperative composed mostly of farmers was doomed to fail. Often, it took multiple visits before a member would be willing to pay the $2 membership fee.

October 19, 1937

The City of Rochester served as the Cooperative’s first power provider. An agreement was negotiated to buy wholesale power from Rochester’s North Broadway Power Plant which produced enough power to electrify 60,000 homes. This arrangement lasted nearly 20 years.

January 1943

During WWII, construction of new power lines were halted as construction materials were needed for the war effort.  The War Production Board, which was responsible for the scale of priorities, relaxed its restrictions around January 1943. Farmers who were close to existing power lines could obtain extensions provided they could show that electricity would mean an increase in food production or a decrease in labor.

November 21, 1956

By 1955, the Cooperative supplemented its power supply to its members by engaging with Interstate Power and Light. Shortly after that, in September 1956, People’s Cooperative Power Association was informed by the City of Rochester that it would have to discontinue service by 1957.  The Mayo Clinic was expanding with the newly constructed Mayo Building in 1955, and IBM began operations in 1956. Thankfully, during this time, the Cooperative had already begun negotiations with Dairyland Power Cooperative to become its 26th cooperative member. A ceremony marking the energization of People’s lines by Dairyland Power Cooperative was held at Dairyland’s Rochester substation on November 21, 1956.