In 1938, Garkane Power was formed as a Cooperative by citizens living in Garfield and Kane Counties of Southern Utah. Robert Middleton living in Henrieville, UT was selected as the first General Manager. The cost of membership was $5. The newly created Cooperative took advantage of loans provided by the Rural Electrification Act signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. A special meeting of the members authorized a total obligation to the REA of not more than $1,500,000 to build a power line system. It would initially serve 118 miles and now serves over 2,200 miles of line with 12,950 members. It owns two hydro plants on the Boulder Mountain. It is a member of the NRECA (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association).  The Co-op serves four National Parks (Zions, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, and Capitol Reef). The Co-op also serves two National Monuments and a National Recreation Area. Three National Forests are served (Dixie, Fishlake, and Kaibab), along with numerous State Parks. These federal and state lands encompass close to 90% of the total landmass of the Co-op’s 16,000 square miles of service territory. It has been an economic force for good in all the communities it serves.