History

Founded by Thomas Edison and his associates in 1885, AEIC is one of the oldest organizations in the electric energy industry. Founded to guide the growth of the proliferating Edison illuminating companies, the Association originally existed as mainly a company organization but, quickly grew to represent the entire electric power industry. The organizers of the Association determined to hold annual meetings at which company representatives would engage in an “interchange of opinions.” At the first Annual Meeting in 1885, it was announced that the Association sought, “through the interchange of views and experiences, and by comparison and consultation, [to make] the knowledge of one the knowledge of all, to the advantage of their common interests.”

The commitment to the exchange of ideas formed the core of the formal statement of purposes: the Association would continue to “elicit all of the information” needed for advancing the “mutual interests” of the member companies. This primary statement of purpose has guided the Association ever since.

Through this collaborative thinking, AEIC delivered the distilled wisdom of the industry on technical systems, financing (including accounting and rate-making), service, and marketing. Early discussions at annual meetings focused on the kinds of technical concerns that would later engage the AEIC. Members talked of street lighting, the relative merits of contract and meter systems for determining usage, engines and boilers, lamp breakage, fuels, and central station staff responsibilities.

Member companies sent their chief executive officers and senior staff from engineering and operations to increase the benefits of membership to the company. The geographical representation of member companies pointed to the emergence of a national AEIC. Meeting minutes contained the collective thought of the industry’s leaders. In them were recorded the annual reports and discussions describing the state of the technical art and projecting future developments. “Printed but not published,” the title page of each volume proclaimed, since membership was required to receive the documents. The tradition of privacy was, as an AEIC president declared in the 1950s, a “sacred heritage.” At the dawn of the 20th Century, member companies were moving beyond supplying electricity for “lighting and incidental power” to providing power for surface and elevated railroads, interurban transportation lines, electrochemical processes, and heating. In response, the appointment of new committees was recommended to guide this expansive phase which the industry had entered, including a Committee on Electric Vehicles.

During the early 1900’s, a string of specialized committees was in place. Rapid developments in apparatus, marketing practice, and operating problems led to the evolution of an Association committee structure to deal with them. This demonstrated the Association’s growing commitment both to aid the flow of technical information to the industry and to add to the store of technical knowledge.

By 1935, the AEIC committee system reflected a mature industry prepared, on the one hand, to capitalize on all possibilities for expanding production and extending distribution and, on the other hand, to respond to new market conditions and rising customer expectations. The Association’s program would, over the long haul, include power generation, power distribution, electric power apparatus, meters and service, and the twin areas of load-building and load research. By the time of the AEIC’s fiftieth anniversary, most of the modern committee structure had fallen into place and AEIC had taken full responsibility for coordinating load studies within the industry. Other means by which the AEIC transmitted information were the papers by engineers and managers on technical subjects at the annual meeting.

Today, AEIC continues to hold a unique and important position in the electric industry as the only place where senior leaders and operational experts come together to share knowledge, collaborate, and provide guidance to the industry.

Members respond to challenges, accelerate change, and achieve excellence in all aspects of generation, transmission, distribution, and storage of electric power for the benefit of all members, the industry at large, and consumers.

AEIC’s member companies represent a “who’s who” of utility industry leaders. Our members include large utilities, state and regional cooperatives, and municipalities. Through our Annual Achievement Awards program, we recognize and promote members who have clearly demonstrated significant contributions to advancing the operations of the electric energy industry. More than 500 employees from our member companies are actively and enthusiastically engaged in committee work focused on addressing key operational issues and challenges in the industry. These committees produce technical specifications, industry standards, best practices, and useful guidance that benefit the entire industry. In addition, AEIC offers virtual and in-person meetings, networking and collaboration opportunities throughout the year, including our association-wide Annual Meeting. Our members often refer to AEIC as a respected and trusted ‘safe harbor’ for open, honest dialogue and sharing of ideas, problem-solving and pragmatic guidance.

As the industry’s longest-serving and preeminent association, we’ve been leading the way since 1885.