At the depth of the Great Depression, a merciless nature and failing economy darkened the days. In 1935, Franklin D. Roosevelt issued the Executive Order 7037 in response. That order established the Rural Electrification Administration. The influence of this historic decision spread throughout the nation.
By 1939 the first faint glimmer of hope reached the Red River Valley of Minnesota. News that a few electric cooperatives were operating in southern regions of the state sparked interest in local farmers who wanted to bring electricity to their farmsteads. A mass meeting was held in Alvarado, Minnesota to discuss organizing an electric cooperative. Those in attendance were overwhelmingly in favor. An organizing committee of nine dedicated individuals was formed and served as the first Board of Directors.
On April 17, 1940 P.K.M. Electric Cooperative, Inc. brought light to years of darkness to Polk, Kittson and Marshall counties. On that date the Articles of Incorporation were approved by the State of Minnesota. One of the first tasks at hand for the board would lead to the granting of a line construction loan by REA. Later that year the board voted the cooperative should become a member of the Minnkota Power Cooperative of Grand Forks, North Dakota. This solved the problem of providing a satisfactory source of wholesale power.
Today, P.K.M. Electric Cooperative, Inc. provides power to 3,728 members. The members of P.K.M. Electric Cooperative, Inc. elect a board of directors that meet monthly to develop policy by which the cooperative is governed and operated. There are nine directors elected for three-year terms. The board of directors appoints a manager whose responsibility is to employ a competent staff that will carry out the policies of the cooperative and operate the utility in an efficient businesslike manner that will benefit the members.
