Since EEI was founded 90 years ago, EEI’s member companies have electrified the nation, introduced new and more sustainable ways to produce electricity, and built the foundation for a resilient clean energy future that promotes economic growth and prosperity for all Americans.

This week, and all year long, we are celebrating EEI’s 90th anniversary and reflecting on how electricity has transformed our society since 1933. When EEI was formed on January 12, 1933, it became the second trade association to represent investor-owned electric companies. EEI’s predecessor, the National Electrical Light Association, was formed in 1885 and helped author the first U.S. National Electric Code.

In 1882, Thomas Edison’s Pearl Street electricity generating station began servicing customers within a one-quarter- square-mile area in New York’s First District. By 1925, half of all U.S. residents had access to electricity. In 1933, the year EEI was founded, the average residential customer purchased about 600 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per year—compared to more than 10,500 kWh today. Large stretches of the rural countryside weren’t electrified yet, and regulations for the electric power industry were a new idea.

EEI President Tom Kuhn said the electric power industry was already building upon its strong track record of innovating to meet the evolving needs of customers in 1933.

“Thanks to the pioneering work of electric companies—and of the business leaders who found new ways to utilize electricity—daily life was revolutionized as electricity drove innovation and growth throughout the U.S. economy,” he said.

For 90 years, “Power by Association” has been the driving force behind EEI. In the spirit of Thomas Edison, we have endeavored for almost a century to make significant and positive contributions to the long-term success of the electric power industry in its vital mission to provide electricity to foster economic progress and improve quality of life.

Today, electricity powers our way of life, and EEI’s member companies are working hard every day to deliver more clean, carbon-free energy to meet the evolving needs and expectations of the customers and communities that we proudly serve. Our member companies also are focused on investing in smarter energy infrastructure that enhances energy grid reliability and resilience.

As we reflect on the progress over the last nine decades, we also look to the future and celebrate the clean energy transformation being led by EEI’s member companies.

EEI 2023, our annual gathering of top industry thought leaders and executives, kicks off in June and promises to be a fitting celebration of this momentous anniversary. Register today.