1935 · Milestone

Public Utility Holding Company Act (PUHCA)

Passed alongside the Federal Power Act, PUHCA broke up sprawling utility holding-company trusts and gave the SEC broad oversight of electric and gas corporate structures—shaping U.S. utility monopolies until repeal in the 2005 Energy Policy Act.

Milestone Electricity Natural Gas Legal

Historical era

Coal ascendancy (1885–1949)

Coal powered railroads, factories, and—after the 1880s—rapidly expanding electric utilities.

Nearby on the timeline

1935 Federal Power Act creates Federal Power Commission
1935 Rural Electrification Administration established
1936 Hoover Dam begins operation

Sources

EIA — Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935

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