May 18, 1933
The Tennessee Valley Authority is Born
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Tennessee Valley Authority Act into law, creating TVA and giving it operational control of the electrical production facilities at Wilson Dam — setting the stage for electrification across the entire Tennessee Valley.
July 30, 1933
Muscle Shoals Requests Power
Mayor George L. McBride submits a formal resolution from the City of Muscle Shoals requesting electric service for the town.
October 14, 1933
First TVA Power Connection — 24 Customers
Prior to this date, only the Highland Park section of Muscle Shoals had electric service — supplied by diesel electric sets operated by the Muscle Shoals Land Company. After the City negotiated ownership of the private distribution system, the Highland Park lines were tied into the fertilizer works’ distribution system, and TVA power was made available to approximately 24 residential customers.
Unable to raise the capital to absorb the two remaining private systems, the City asked the Tennessee Valley Authority to take over and operate the municipal distribution system entirely.
August 1934
60 Customers — $150 in Monthly Revenue
The electric department now serves 60 connected customers. Credit is extended, and the City begins acquiring pole-line material to consolidate the remaining private systems.
November 1934
System Consolidation
25 additional customers are connected as the remaining small distribution systems are tied into the Highland Park section.
1935
The Patchwork System is Rebuilt
The patchwork distribution system can no longer serve the city’s growing needs — particularly notable because Muscle Shoals customers have established the highest average kilowatt-hour usage per customer in the entire Tennessee Valley. With $9,600 in city investment, a $14,000 grant, and an $18,000 loan from the Public Works Administration, the antiquated system is abandoned and a modern one is built in its place.
January 19, 1935
First 20-Year TVA Power Contract
The City of Muscle Shoals signs its first 20-year power contract with the Tennessee Valley Authority, securing 750 kilowatts of electric power.
1944
344 Customers — Debt-Free
Ten years after the electricity department was established, MSEB serves 344 commercial and residential customers (no industrial loads yet). The system is valued at approximately $38,750 — and the entire distribution system has been paid for out of customer earnings. The original patchwork installed by the real estate operators has been fully retired.
Today — 2026
A Modern Municipal Utility
Ninety-three years after the first connection in Highland Park, MSEB serves 9,061 customers with $36,088,717 in annual revenues and $47,038,174 in total assets. Under General Manager Matt Bernauer, the organization maintains 232 miles of line and continues its founding mission of delivering safe, reliable, affordable electricity to the Muscle Shoals community.
Board Meetings
The MSEB Board of Directors meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 4:30 pm at the main office, 1015 Avalon Avenue. Meetings are open to the public. Meeting notices and any schedule changes are posted in the lobby.
History compiled and written by past managers and updated by present Manager, Matt Bernauer.