Lighting the Countryside

This article focuses on the concept that in the dark years of the Great Depression, rural cooperatives brought a new level of power to American agriculture. Vermont was a microcosm of the electric power industry’s business model during the three decades following the turn of the century. Numerous utilities came online to meet the demands of factories, streetcars, and households in expanding urban centers. Electricity-powered machines to milk cows and dry corn ran pumps to increase the availability of water for irrigation, and provided heat for pigpens and chicken coops. Electricity also brought comfort and convenience to the home, as country residents purchased appliances to preserve food, wash and iron clothes, and vacuum floors. The technological factors that drove the growth of electric utilities in the early 20th century include improved steam efficiencies, the development of turbocharged generators, the application of superpower, and gains in lowering system heat rates. ASME was at the focal point of all these topics. Society members were the ones designing and maintaining the systems and operating the plants, as well as developing the technical standards for steam boilers.