Bill Text: MS SC629 | 2010 | Regular Session | Enrolled

Mississippi Senate Concurrent Resolution 629 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Recognize Pontotoc Electric Power Association on 75th Anniversary.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 4-2)

Status: (Passed) 2010-03-03 - Enrolled Bill Signed [SC629 Detail]

Download: Mississippi-2010-SC629-Enrolled.html

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2010 Regular Session

To: Rules

By: Senator(s) Browning, Butler, Davis, Jackson (32nd), King, Yancey

Senate Concurrent Resolution 629

(As Adopted by Senate and House)

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING AND SALUTING PONTOTOC ELECTRIC POWER ASSOCIATION IN PONTOTOC, MISSISSIPPI, IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL ELECTRIFICATION ON THE OCCASION OF THEIR 75TH ANNIVERSARY.

WHEREAS, in the year of 1935, many towns and cities in the United States had the benefit of receiving "central station" electricity, but only 10.8% of the farms had electric service; and

WHEREAS, in the year 1935, while many towns and cities in Mississippi had the benefit of receiving "central station" electricity, but only nine-tenths of one percent of the farms had electric service; and

WHEREAS, on May 18, 1933, the fate of rural electrification began to change for the better with the passage of the Tennessee Valley Authority Act; and

WHEREAS, the TVA Act directed the Board of Directors of TVA to give preference in the sale of surplus power to states, counties, municipalities and "cooperative organizations of citizens and farmers to construct electric transmission lines to farms and small villages in order to promote and encourage to the fullest extent possible the development of rural electrification"; and

WHEREAS, on Saturday, September 30, 1933, a group of forward-thinking citizens met at the Pontotoc County Courthouse for the first organizational meeting of the Pontotoc County Electric Power Association; and

WHEREAS, on Friday, February 23, 1934, the Pontotoc County Electric Power Association was legally incorporated under the laws of the State of Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, at midnight between Thursday, February 28 and Friday, March 1, 1935, the Pontotoc County Electric Power Association purchased the existing assets in the electrical distribution system from the Tennessee Valley Authority and began supplying its member/consumers with electricity; and

WHEREAS, the formation of this organization made Pontotoc County Electric Power Association the second oldest rural electric cooperative in the United States; and

WHEREAS, on May 20, 1936, Pontotoc County Electric Power Association expanded its service territory into Calhoun County, Mississippi, and changed its name to Pontotoc Electric Power Association to reflect a more regional service territory, and now serves approximately 18,300 meters in parts of six counties; and

WHEREAS, the idea of rural electrification in rural northeast Mississippi gained the interest and attention of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and led to the idea of a nationwide rural electrification effort, and the passage of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936; and

WHEREAS, according to Morris Llewellyn Cooke (1872-1960), the first Administrator of the Rural Electric Administration (REA), three customer-owned rural electric cooperatives, namely Alcorn County Electric Power Association, Pontotoc Electric Power Association, and Prentiss County Electric Power Association, "proved of definite value to the development of the national rural electrification program"; and

WHEREAS, today there are 930 rural electric cooperatives in 47 states, serving approximately 12% of America's electric consumers over 70% of the land area of the United States:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby acknowledge the significant efforts of the current and former officers, directors, employees and member/consumers of Pontotoc Electric Power Association in the development of the rural electrification program nationwide, and recognize and salute them on the observance of their 75th Anniversary on March 1, 2010.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to the Director and Board of Directors of the Pontotoc EPA, forwarded to the Electric Power Association of Mississippi and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.