Shirley K. Daniels, along with Chester Hartman, Edward Holder, and Edward Conklin, formulated a plan to organize a cooperative. They held their first meeting on January 11, 1938, and with the assistance of George Stewart, a young attorney from Roosevelt, and Zella Rust (Bennion) as bookkeeper, and following Utah State Statutes, they formed the necessary nonprofit corporation. Formation of a nonprofit corporation was the necessary first step prior to forming an REA cooperative. Throughout the summer they sold the idea of forming an electric cooperative to the farmers of the upper-country. On September 22, 1938, a mass meeting was held at Altamont High School, which was attended by about fifty people representing the rural communities of Mt. Emmons, Bluebell, and Altonah. It was proposed that they officially incorporate the Altonah-Bluebell-Mt. Emmons Rural Electrification Association. Deciding that the name Altonah-Bluebell-Mt. Emmons Rural Electrification Association was too long, it was changed to Moon Lake Electric Association shortly after. Moon Lake Electric Association Inc. (MLEA) was officially incorporated on October 6, 1938.

In 1940, a place was chosen on the Yellowstone River in a canyon north of Altonah, and the Yellowstone Hydro Plant was proposed and constructed. The original line transporting power from the hydro was operated at 7.2/12.5 kV. It linked the Yellowstone Hydro to the Moon Lake Electric lines around Bonita, and that interconnection was completed in 1941.

Due to the unavailability of good poles at the time, Moon Lake Electric secured a timber permit and started harvesting and treating its own poles for powerline construction.

Main office relocated from from Altamont to Vernal.

A 138 kV transmission line was built by Moon Lake Electric from the Vernal substation to the construction substation for Flaming Gorge. This delivered power generated by Moon Lake Electric for construction of the dam. When the dam was completed, ownership of that line was transferred to the US Bureau of Reclamation, and the line was then utilized to carry power from Flaming Gorge back to MLEA to service its consumer accounts. The Flaming Gorge Dam is one of the largest dams in the west. Groundbreaking for the huge structure across the Green River began in 1958, and the project was completed in 1964. Originally, the dam’s hydroelectric power plant consisted of three generators rated at 37,000 kW. Today, the total generating capacity of the Flaming Gorge Dam is 151,950 kW.

Main office relocated from Vernal to Roosevelt.

The first retirement of capital credits is issued back to members totaling $62,946.20.

In 1955 a contract was signed between MLEA and the American Gilsonite Company to bring service to the mines in Bonanza, Utah. This became Moon Lake Electric’s first large industrial customer. In 1981 groundbreaking ceremonies for Deseret Generation and Transmission Cooperative’s 460MW Bonanza Power Plant took place. In the fall of 1985, the Bonanza plant started generation. The plant is capable of generating over two and one-half billion kilowatt-hours of power per year.

In 2009, groundbreaking ceremonies and construction for the new Moon Lake Electric office and warehouse took place. In March of 2010, the new office building and warehouse were in operation.

Moon Lake Electric redesigned its logo to better reflect the company's service provided to its members.

Moon Lake Electric continues to provide safe and reliable electricity for its members into the future.