During the mid-twentieth century, private utility magnates, federal officials, and public power advocates all shared the goal of electrifying the entire state of Arkansas, but their unwillingness to cooperate delayed that from happening for many years. The politics surrounding the private versus public power controversy retaraded the state's economic development as each group continually worked to the other's detriment. In hindsight, the politicking and quarreling not only absorbed much valuable time and capital of the entities involved, it needlessly lengthened the dreary period of Arkansas's dark ages.