In the 1930s, fewer than 10% of U.S. farms had electricity. One solution? Small wind turbines.

My guest, Brandon Owens—author of The Wind Power Story—explores how wind power brought electricity to rural America long before the grid. We dive into the story of the Jacobs Wind Electricity Company, which delivered over 30,000 turbines to farms across the country. Known as the “Cadillac of the trade,” one even powered a station at the South Pole.

We also discuss how federal policy, like the 1937 Rural Electrification Act, helped end this early era of decentralized, off-grid power.

SOURCES: The Wind Power Story: A Century of Innovation that Reshaped the Global Energy Landscape by Brandon N. Owens.