Northern Ireland Electricity - History

History

In 1973 the Northern Ireland Electricity Service (NIES) was formed as a public utility to generate, transmit and supply electricity to Northern Ireland.

During the Ulster Workers' Council strike in 1974, when electricity supplies were severely disrupted, the government considered generating power using Royal Navy nuclear submarines in Belfast Lough but the idea was abandoned as being technically unfeasible.

In 1991, the company was incorporated as a government-owned public limited company, Northern Ireland Electricity plc. In 1992 the four power stations at Belfast Harbour, Ballylumford, Coolkeeragh and Carrickfergus (Kilroot) were demerged and sold. In 1993 the remainder of NIE (transmission, supply and retail businesses) was privatised as Northern Ireland Electricity plc. In 1998, Northern Ireland Electricity plc became part of Viridian Group plc, with Northern Ireland Electricity now a subsidiary of that holding company. Northern Ireland Electricity supplies electricity to approximately 740,000 homes and businesses in Northern Ireland.

NIE has often been criticised for having the most expensive electricity in Europe. This is attributed to a number of factors including the small population of Northern Ireland and the large areas of thinly populated countryside the company is required to serve and the network's over-dependence on oil-fired generation. The lack of competition in the Northern Ireland market is also undoubtedly a factor, although the introduction of the Single Electricity Market (SEM) in Ireland in late 2007 was designed to address this.

NIE sold SONI, the operator of the transmission network to EirGrid in March 2009 for £30 million.

In 2008 NIE sponsored a new solar roof for Straidhavern Primary School through its Smart programme.

In May 2010 NIE Energy Supply announced that it will be running a scheme to help farmers afford solar power water heaters.

On 7 July 2010 BBC News reported that ESB is to purchase NIE for £1 billion. On 21 September 2010 it was revealed unionist politicians (Peter Robinson and Reg Empey), had written to the Taoiseach objecting to the transaction. They said it was "inappropriate" and that it amounted to the purchase of a "key component" of Northern Ireland's infrastructure . ESB is a statutory corporation in the Republic of Ireland whose board members are appointed by the Irish government.