Cities of Light

CITIES OF LIGHT

When Thomas Alva Edison presented his version of the incandescent light bulb in 1879 to the world, U.S. cities immediately installed streetlights to illuminate dark sidewalks. Atlanta was one of the first cities in America to receive electricity in 1884. When the electricity industry in Georgia began establishing itself, many utility companies often merged together to survive financially. In 1926 these mergers led to the creation of Georgia Power, a private shareholder owned company who became the leading utility provider in the state.

Generally, utility companies like Georgia Power were private, profit-driven corporations that provided shareholders with returns on their investments. Therefore, it was important that they only provide electrical service to areas where they could count on a certain minimum income and where they could afford to construct power lines. This formula was easy to meet in cities and towns. In urban areas, their potential customer base was large but encompassed a small compact area. This formula was virtually impossible to meet in most rural communities. In rural areas, their potential customer base was small and spread out over great distances. Also, most people living in rural areas were still reeling from decades of economic problems. This financial bottom line in Georgia kept many rural families literally "living in the shadows" of their city counterparts. Georgia Power did serve some rural areas, and in 1927, it established a Rural Lines Division to solve problems of supplying electricity to rural communities. Through this division, Georgia Power provided electricity to small towns across Georgia, but could not provide electricity to remote areas and still realize a profit.