Typically, county extension agents brought information about REA to rural communities in Georgia. They traveled each county to explain the details of the REA loan program and encourage people to attend local meetings about it. Many farmers wanted electricity but were unsure if they could afford it. Community leaders negotiated the lowest prices possible in order to address the farmers' concerns. REA field representatives traveled down from Washington D.C. to explain the value of electricity on the farm and clarified any misgivings or rumors about REA.
After learning about REA and its possible benefits, rural communities immediately began to make plans to bring electricity to their areas. Unable to negotiate with private utility companies, REA chose to work directly with rural communities, usually through organizations called cooperatives or "co-ops," which had become popular among many small-scale farmers who were looking for ways to compete more effectively with larger producers. In a cooperative, each customer is a shareholder with an equal voice in the decision-making and direction of the organization regardless of the amount they invest. People who joined an electrical cooperative (emc) were members, not just customers, and their motives for joining were not driven by profits but a desire to bring electricity to their communities for a reasonable price as soon as possible.
