During the past century, electricity use has lead to extraordinary improvements in the quality of our lives. In the early decades of electrification, lights that came on at the flip of a switch seemed remarkable. Today, sensors can turn lights on when we enter a room and off when we leave. Electronic mailboxes can store voice messages and fax systems can transmit documents around the world at the speed of light. Electricity is the power behind the information revolution, as well as, many of the life-saving technologies of modern medicine. Electricity has become nothing less than the power of progress.

The first mention of electricity in Bowling Green is taken from minutes of the Board of Commissioners meeting in January 1886. In those minutes, is a motion by the city attorney to draft a charter to be sent to the legislature asking them to give the city of Bowling Green the power to issue bonds for the construction of electric lights in the corporate limits. That motion was approved and thus began the process of getting electricity to Bowling Green.

The city purchased the lot on the corner of 10th and Clay Streets for $600 and received bids for construction of the power plant in the amount of $1275.00; they then signed a contract with the Jenny Electric Company to provide the electrical system for the city street lighting. The contract with Jenny Electric Company in 1886 was $13,500.00.

This first municipally-owned power plant provided the first form of electricity into Bowling Green. The plant generated current for the arc light system and also later the electric trolley cars but did not serve private customers at that time.

The first lights installed in Bowling Green were called carbon arc lights. The lighting from this type of light was produced from the current flowing between two carbon rods that produce pretty much nothing more than a bright glow. The problem with these lights were that the rods would burn down and had to be replaced quite frequently. These lights were installed in 1886 and 1894; there were 72 arc lights throughout the city.

In October of 1887, the city council authorized the purchase of a lot at the corner of 8th and Kentucky Streets for the future use of a second power plant for Bowling Green. This land was purchased for $150.00.

From 1886 until 1890, Bowling Green operated its own municipal electric system which provided street lighting and the electric trolley system. Realizing the need and the demand for electricity by the residents, Bowling Green entered into an electric light franchise in May of 1890 with the Bowling Green Gas Light Company. Bowling Green Gas Light Company was a private corporation of which the late Henry Fitch was later president. The city still provided its own street lighting but city residents depended on the Bowling Green Gas Light Company for commercial lights and gas for home heating and lighting.

During the time of the Bowling Green Gas Light Company contract, the demand for electricity had increased so drastically it was necessary for a third and larger power plant. The property was purchased on Portage Railroad between Beech and Pearl Streets for this plant. This property is next to the old Pet Milk Plant. Part of the old plant can still be seen today.

The initial trolley system for Bowling Green was developed in the late 1880's and was generally mule-drawn. However, in 1898, in an effort to improve the transportation system in Bowling Green, the Bowling Green Railroad Company replaced the mule-drawn trolley with the electric trolley. In 1911, the system had 6 miles of tract and 10 cars. The first miles of tract were laid from the old depot on Main and Adams Streets to the Morehead House, on Main and State Streets.

The electric and light franchise with the Bowling Green Gas Light Company maintained in effect until October 1913. At that time, it was decided by the council, in the best interest of all concerned, to make provisions of electricity available through contract rather than by ownership and operation of the city. In November of 1913, Bowling Green entered into a contract with the Kentucky Public Service Company.

In this first contract with the Kentucky Public Service Company, the electric rate as stipulated in this contract was for commercial power to cost $1.50 per horse power per month with a kilowatt hour charge of .015¢ per kWh and the rate for residential customers was .08¢ kWh with a minimum charge of .50¢ per month.

A few years after the initial contract with the City, Kentucky Public Service Company was assumed by the Kentucky-Tennessee Power and Light Company. Kentucky-Tennessee Power and Light Company was part of the Southwestern Electric Properties owned by the Associated Electric Company of Delaware. The contract between Bowling Green and the Kentucky-Tennessee Power and Light Company was renewed annually until 1942.

In 1931, the Kentucky-Tennessee Power and Light Company built a new generating plant located on Power Street on the Barren River to meet the ever-increasing electric demands of Bowling Green. This plant was one of the most modern of the times and had a capacity of 7,250 kilowatts.

In 1933, things began to change that would provide a more stable and better form of power to the region and into Bowling Green. On May 18, 1933, President Roosevelt signed the TVA Act, which established the Tennessee Valley Authority for the improvement of the Tennessee Valley region of the country and started the process of providing a more economical source of power to the region. Throughout the next eight or nine years, TVA began expanding its facilities and reached a point where power could be provided more economically by the federal agency than by private corporations such as the Associated Electric Company, which owned the Kentucky-Tennessee Power and Light Company.

In 1942, an agreement was made between the Associated Electric Company of Delaware and the parent company of the Kentucky-Tennessee Power and Light Company and TVA, for TVA to purchase the electric facilities of the Kentucky-Tennessee Power and Light Company. The purchase price for all associated properties was $3,535,000.00.

At the same time, TVA was negotiating with Associated Electric Company. Negotiations began with several cities and county cooperatives to sell local distribution systems and to allow TVA to maintain the generation capabilities. When the sales agreements were signed between all parties, the city of Bowling Green paid $730,000.00 for the electric distribution system to the city, and the Electric Plant Board was established. The service area of the Electric Plant Board ran from Memphis Junction around Morgantown Road to the Jennings Creek area, Barren River Road and out to the Mt. Victor area on Cemetery Road.

With the formation of the Electric Plant Board, the city once again went back to a municipal operation getting away from contracts with private companies to provide the electric power to Bowling Green. The office for the newly-formed Electric Plant Board was located at 1020 College Street. In 1942, the EPB had 4,760 customers, 16 employees and a system value of $723,863.77.

As Bowling Green grew, the demand for electricity and more efficient customer services required the EPB to move its office to a more modern building located at 801 Center Street. The new office building was opened for operation in January 1966. In 1976, the Electric Plant Board and the Water/Sewer Sanitation Commission were merged to form Bowling Green Municipal Utilities.

BGMU has continuously worked to keep abreast of the ever-increasing electrical needs of Bowling Green. Throughout the years, additional substations have been constructed. At this time, BGMU has two primary substations where electricity is received from TVA and five substations in a circular loop of the city to keep a reliable source of power to all residents. Today's capacity of the electric system stands at 400,000 kilowatts, 95 employees, 25,831 customers and a systems value of $34 million.