Work in progress — cycles are added one at a time. Every quote is machine-verified against an archived source; follow the links to read it.
Issues › Energy & Power
Public ownership of electric power
| Cycle | Candidate | Position | Solution | Strength | Attribution | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democratic) | Public development of hydro-electric power on the St. Lawrence model, with national control of interstate transmission | Where the public owns a power site, a public authority builds and permanently owns the dams and powerhouses; transmission and distribution are offered first to private capital at a price built from plant amortization plu… | specific_pledge | candidate_direct | kept |
| 1932 | Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democratic) | The next federal hydro-electric development will be on the Columbia River | Federal development of Columbia River power as the fourth regional "yardstick" project alongside the St. Lawrence, Muscle Shoals and Boulder Dam, with the federal government never parting with sovereignty over its power … | specific_pledge | candidate_direct | kept |
| 1932 | Herbert Hoover (Republican) | Federal regulation of interstate power; opposition to government operation of the power business | Enact federal regulation of interstate electric power (as repeatedly recommended) while continuing to oppose federal operation of power plants (Muscle Shoals vetoed 1931). | specific_pledge | candidate_direct | not_applicable |
| 1936 | Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democratic) | Cheaper electricity and rural electrification by the 'yardstick' method | Continue TVA-style rate yardsticks and the Rural Electrification Administration's loans to bring cheap power to homes and farms. | directional_stance | candidate_direct | kept |