COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 221111

Electric Power Generation, Hydroelectric

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

23companies1900–2000founding years23still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedAlexander & Baldwin, Inc.
1900
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedSeattle City Light
1910
FoundedPuget Sound Energy Inc.
1912
FoundedLG&E Energy Corporation
1913
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedPPL Corporation
1920
FoundedAllegheny Energy, Inc.FoundedVEW AG
1925
FoundedPublic Service Company of New Hampshire
1926
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
FoundedBonneville Power Administration
1937
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedNebraska Public Power District
1940
FoundedHydro-Quebec
1944
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedThe Southern Company
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedSideco Americana S.A.
1961
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedElectricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT)
1969
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
FoundedAES Corporation
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
FoundedScottish and Southern Energy plc
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
FoundedRAO Unified Energy System of Russia
1992
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
FoundedFortum Corporation
1998
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. →
Active · founded 1900
Alexander & Baldwin, Inc., one of the original 'Big Five' Hawaiian companies, is a diversified corporation with…
Seattle City Light →
Active · founded 1910
Seattle City Light has been providing Seattle with electricity since 1910.
Puget Sound Energy Inc. →
Active · founded 1912
Puget Sound Energy Inc.
LG&E Energy Corporation →
Active · founded 1913
LG&E Energy Corporation is a diversified energy services company formed in 1990 as a holding company for the Louisville…
PNM Resources Inc. →
Active · founded 1917
PNM Resources Inc.
PPL Corporation →
Active · founded 1920
PPL Corporation operates as an international energy company providing electricity and natural gas to more than 1.4…
Allegheny Energy, Inc. →
Active · founded 1925
Allegheny Energy, Inc.
VEW AG →
Active · founded 1925 · Germany
VEW AG is one of Germany's leading utility companies and is active throughout Europe.
Public Service Company of New Hampshire →
Active · founded 1926
Public Service Company of New Hampshire (PSNH), the Granite State's largest electric utility, is a wholly owned…
Tennessee Valley Authority →
Active · founded 1933
Established by the U.S.
Bonneville Power Administration →
Active · founded 1937
Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), a United States federal agency created in 1937 by the Roosevelt administration…
Nebraska Public Power District →
Active · founded 1940
The Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) generates and distributes electricity to about one million Nebraskans in 91…
Hydro-Quebec →
Active · founded 1944 · Canada
Hydro-Quebec is one of the world's largest generators of 'green' energy.
Petrobras Energia Participaciones S.A. →
Active · founded 1947 · Argentina
Petrobras Energia Participaciones S.A.
The Southern Company →
Active · founded 1947
The Southern Company is a utility holding company whose principal subsidiaries provide power in Alabama, Georgia,…
Sideco Americana S.A. →
Active · founded 1961 · Argentina
Sideco Americana S.A.
Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) →
Active · founded 1969 · Thailand
The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) operates as a state-owned enterprise involved in the generation…
AES Corporation →
Active · founded 1981
AES Corporation is one of the largest independent producers of electrical power in the world, with an ownership stake…
Fortis, Inc. →
Active · founded 1987 · Canada
Fortis, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading distributor of electricity in the Province of Newfoundland and…
Scottish and Southern Energy plc →
Active · founded 1989 · United Kingdom
Scottish and Southern Energy plc (SSE) operates as one of the largest energy concerns in the United Kingdom.
RAO Unified Energy System of Russia →
Active · founded 1992 · Russia
RAO Unified Energy System of Russia (UES) is one of the two largest companies in Russia.
Fortum Corporation →
Active · founded 1998 · Finland
Fortum Corporation is an international energy group formed from the 1998 merger of two state-owned Finnish firms: Neste…
E.On AG →
Active · founded 2000 · Germany
E.On AG is the largest listed power generation company in Europe.
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