Rural Electrification Administration

The Rural Electrification Administration (REA) was a U.S. federal agency established in 1935 during the New Deal. Its primary goal was to improve the quality of life in rural areas and reduce the migration of people to cities by bringing electricity to farms. The REA provided low-interest loans to farm cooperatives, enabling them to build power plants and extend power lines to underserved rural communities. This initiative brought modern conveniences like electric lighting and radios to sparsely populated regions and facilitated the automation of farm tasks. While it helped bridge the gap between urban and rural living, it did not halt the movement of farm workers to cities, as technological advancements increased productivity and mechanization.1