Until the 1930s, financial interests dominated electrical power in the United States. That changed with the New Deal, which restructured the industry. The government expanded public ownership, famously through the Tennessee Valley Authority, and promoted a new kind of utility: the rural electric cooperative, which brought light and power to millions in the countryside. Since then, public and cooperative utilities have persisted as an alternative to shareholder control. Democracy in Power traces the rise of publicly governed utilities in the twentieth-century electrification of America.

Vaheesan shows that the path to accountability in America’s power sector was beset by bureaucratic challenges and fierce private resistance. Through a detailed and critical examination of this evolution, Vaheesan offers a blueprint for a publicly led and managed path to decarbonization. Democracy in Power is at once an essential history, a deeply relevant accounting of successes and failures, and a guide on how to avoid repeating past mistakes.

NOTE: This event will be recorded and may be shared on MDC DSA’s social media platforms for educational purposes. By participating, you acknowledge that you may be videotaped and livestreamed. If you wish to avoid being recorded, you should take efforts to avoid appearing on camera or speaking.

This hybrid event is open to both DSA Members and supporters. The in-person event will be at the Shaw/Watha T. Daniel Library. Those who wish to attend virtually will be provided a Zoom registration link upon RSPVing, under "Instructions From Your Host."

Not a Member? Please consider becoming a Member. Fees are on a sliding scale according to what you feel you can afford.