In 1752, decades before the United States was born, Benjamin Franklin stood in a thunderstorm and demonstrated that lightning and electricity were one and the same. His famous kite experiment helped unlock a scientific mystery that would eventually transform the world.
Twenty-four years later, Franklin put down his scientific instruments and picked up a pen. As one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, he joined fellow patriots in declaring that a free people had the right to govern themselves.
While the elements were there, 160 years would pass before many rural Americans would enjoy one of the greatest benefits of modern civilization: electricity.
As America celebrates its 250th birthday and the Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association (WECA) marks its 90th anniversary this year, the two milestones share a common thread. Both are stories of ordinary people coming together to build something greater than themselves. Both are rooted in the belief that local communities are best equipped to solve local problems. And both remind us that the vision for freedom and democracy in the past was the foundation for a prosperous future, where opportunity is abundant, and the American dream is real.
Self-Government
When America’s founders signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776, they established a nation built on the ideals of self-government, individual liberty, and the conviction that ordinary citizens could shape their own future.
Nearly 160 years later, rural Americans seized on that concept. While cities enjoyed the benefits of electricity, much of rural Wisconsin remained in the dark as investor-owned utilities resisted calls to extend service into sparsely populated areas.
Rather than be left behind, farmers and rural residents organized. With support from the Rural Electrification Administration, neighbors formed electric cooperatives. When Congress passed the Rural Electrification Act in 1936, which offered federal loans to help electric cooperatives fund the needed infrastructure, only 10% of rural homes and farms had electricity.
“The American Revolution was sparked because the colonies were being neglected, misgoverned, or exploited by a distant power that didn’t understand or care about their daily needs,” said Monica Obrycki, president and CEO of Eau Claire Energy Cooperative. “Fast forward to the 1930s, rural Wisconsin was left in the dark. Large investor-owned utilities refused to run lines to farms, claiming it wasn’t profitable. Just like the early patriots, Wisconsin farmers didn’t sit back and accept being left behind—they used the REA to take matters into their own hands, forming their own democratically governed utilities.”
On April 30, 1936, electric co-ops came together to form the nation’s first statewide electric cooperative organization right here in Wisconsin. Then known as the Wisconsin Rural Electric Cooperative Association (WRECA), the statewide organization created a unified voice to advocate for rural communities and strengthen the cooperative network across the state and nation.
Indiana’s statewide organization was organized in 1935, but that was different. The Hoosier state launched a statewide to create electric cooperatives. In Wisconsin, the 14 fledgling electric cooperatives created the statewide.
WECA’s logo has changed over the years, but its member-focused vision remains the same.
Democracy in Action
Unlike investor-owned utilities, electric cooperatives operate under the principle of one member, one vote. Every member-owner has an equal voice in electing directors and shaping the future of their cooperative.
That philosophy mirrors one of America’s founding ideals: government derives its authority from the people.
“As we celebrate both America’s 250th anniversary and WECA’s 90th, I see a strong connection between the two milestones,” said Justin Jahnz, president and CEO of East Central Energy. “Both are rooted in the belief that people can accomplish extraordinary things when they work together to improve their communities.”
The cooperative model, he said, reflects enduring American values.
“Electric cooperatives are built on local ownership, democratic governance, and neighbors working together to solve challenges for the benefit of the entire community.”
Those values have endured for generations because they continue to meet the needs of the people they serve.
Local political leaders (above left) and rural Wisconsinites (above right) mobilized the early electric cooperative movement.
More Than Electricity
Rural electrification transformed Wisconsin. Electric lights replaced kerosene lamps. Refrigerators improved food safety. Electric pumps supplied clean water. Milking machines increased dairy productivity. Rural businesses grew. Schools and hospitals gained access to modern technology. Communities that had once been isolated found growth through connection.
“I think about how rural electrification dramatically changed the course of what rural America would become,” said Jesse Singerhouse, general manager and CEO of Dunn Energy Cooperative. “The electrification of America drove progress, prosperity, employment, and improved the quality of life for all Americans.”
The impact continues today.
Electric cooperatives are investing in modern electric infrastructure, cybersecurity, workforce development, economic growth, and technologies that will support the next generation of rural communities.
One of the greatest accomplishments of the cooperative movement, Jahnz said, was ensuring that geography did not determine opportunity.
“Rural electrification ensured that where a person lived did not determine their access to the comforts, opportunities, and economic possibilities that electricity made possible.”
The American Dream
“The American Dream starts with the freedom and liberty each of us has by living in this country,” Singerhouse said. “It is the belief that every individual has an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work regardless of their background.”
He credits the cooperative family with helping him achieve that dream.
“They sponsored my leadership training at the Youth Leadership Conference, supported the FFA programs I participated in, provided an internship during college, and created a job to help me become part of this cooperative. That support is never lost on me,” he said.
His experience reflects a broader truth about electric cooperatives. The mission has always extended beyond electricity. Through scholarships, youth leadership programs, community grants, and local partnerships, cooperatives continue to invest in future generations.
Looking Back to Move Forward
For Americans and WECA members, the milestone celebrations of 2026 are opportunities to consider both history and responsibility.
“Our founding fathers saw a need for independence and got together to do what was right,” Singerhouse said. “Our rural electric cooperatives did the same. Friends and neighbors gathered to solve a problem and bring power to our rural communities.”
He also points to WECA’s own history of leadership—from helping cooperatives navigate deregulation and legislative challenges to establishing itself as an independent statewide organization—as examples of members working together to strengthen Wisconsin’s cooperative system.
Obrycki believes the lesson is just as relevant today.
“When you strip away the political theater nationally or the disagreements locally, you realize that people’s fundamental desires are remarkably unified,” she said. “Nationally, that looks like national security and economic opportunity. Locally, it’s knowing that when a brutal storm hits, the lights will stay on, and if they do go out, a dedicated crew is on their way to fix it.”
In many ways, that commitment to neighbors remains the cooperative movement’s defining characteristic.
Building the Next Chapter
Neither the signers of the Declaration of Independence nor the founders of Wisconsin’s electric cooperatives knew what the future would hold.
They simply believed that investing in their communities would leave the next generation better off than the last.
Today’s cooperative leaders see that same responsibility.
“The pioneers of rural electrification invested in a future they could not fully see,” Jahnz said. “Today, our responsibility is to continue providing safe, reliable, and affordable energy while preparing rural communities for the opportunities and challenges of the future.”
“Every generation not only inherits a legacy but has a responsibility to leave one with the history we create,” Singerhouse said. “We honor and learn from the past, we accept the challenges of our time, and we work to create a better future for the next generation. We do this as Americans, and in the work we do as electric cooperatives.”
That may be the greatest connection between America’s 250th birthday and WECA’s 90th anniversary.
One celebrates the birth of a nation founded on the idea that people should govern themselves.
The other celebrates nine decades of neighbors proving that when people work together—through democratic institutions built on local ownership, shared responsibility, and service to others—they can bring light, opportunity, and hope to generations yet to come.—Julie Lund