The first power contract was with Sutherland Power Plant, Grand Island, NE. Howard County Rural Public Power District began receiving the power from the
Grand Island plant at their substation near St. Paul January 1938. Howard County Rural Public Power District was allotted $25,000 in loans from the REA to be re-lent to finance about 250 individual customers’ installations for wiring on their place. The REA required that the individual notes not finance more than 80% of the cost of any installation and that the money be paid back within five years.
One of the most important days in the history of Howard County was Sunday July 24, 1938, when the first lines were energized to 125 houses in the southern
part of county.
Some of the first customers to have their wiring completed were Henry Petersen
of the Logan Precinct, Peter Petersen of Boelus, and Joseph Kezior, Joe Armstrong, and Stanley Kowalski of Farwell.
Some of the first bills that were sent out identified that the customers received 50 Kwh for $3.50. That was enough electricity to light an average size home. However, if you wanted to run a washing machine, iron, radio, water pump, and one appliance, such as a refrigerator, the bill was $5.50 for 100 Kwh.