Business Areas
The ESB is composed of several distinct, separate and legally demarcated companies. By business area, the principal companies are:
ESB Networks: The transmission system is operated by independent state company Eirgrid.
ESB Power Generation: operates a portfolio of power stations across the country, along with holdings in wind and other renewables. Wholesale market share is currently below fifty percent.
ESB Electric Ireland The ESB title has been dropped per CER ruling(previously ESB Customer Supply and ESB Independent Energy): a regulated supply company functionally separate from ESB Networks and Power Generation, is one of three companies (as of 18 February 2009) operating in the domestic market. Since 4 April 2011 the Commission for Energy Regulation no longer sets ESB Electric Ireland's prices, the trade off for this is that the division will be required to rebrand to remove the ESB name, to "remove confusion" between the ESB's role as operator of the electricity network and a supplier in that market. From January 2012, it will be known simply as Electric Ireland and will not use the ESB brand at all, though it will remain a part of the ESB.
ESB International: responsible for the company's unregulated activities. ESBI principally provides electrical engineering consultancy services around the world. ESBI is a dynamic company with holdings in many areas, such as power-generation joint ventures, renewables development, and computing consultancy.
Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the electricity network in Northern Ireland, and has been part of the ESB since they purchased it from Viridian in December 2010. However, the ESB does not own the former supply business of NIE, which was retained by Viridian.
Read more about this topic: ESB Group
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