Joint electricity authority

The Electricity (Supply) Act 1919 (9 & 10 Geo. 5. c. 100) established the statutory body of the Electricity Commissioners 'to promote, regulate and supervise the supply of electricity' under the direction of the Board of Trade. The act provided for the commissioners to constitute Electricity Districts and, where appropriate, to establish joint electricity authorities (JEAs), 'to provide or secure the provision of a cheap and abundant supply of electricity', with the agreement of the electricity undertakings concerned. == Electricity districts ==

Fifteen electricity districts were identified. • East of Scotland Electricity District • Edinburgh and Lothians Electricity District • London and Home Counties Electricity District • Lower Severn Electricity District • Mersey and West Lancashire Electricity District • Mid Lancashire Electricity District • North East Midlands Electricity District • North Lancashire and South Cumberland Electricity District • North Wales and Chester Electricity District • North West Midlands Electricity District • South East Lancashire Electricity District • South Wales Electricity District • South West Midlands Electricity District • West of Scotland Electricity District • West Riding (Aire & Calder) Electricity District == Joint electricity authorities issues ==

The establishment of JEAs was slow and problematic. The Electricity (Supply) Act 1926 (16 & 17 Geo. 5. c. 51) established the Central Electricity Board to coordinate the supply of electricity across the country and to construct the national grid. == The authorities ==

In the event only four joint authorities were established: From this time the JEA was effectively the North Wales Power Company. The power company developed several hydro-power stations and extended transmission lines to towns and industrial areas. Upon abolition in 1948 the JEA’s generating assets devolved to the British Electricity Authority and the distribution and sales functions split between the South Eastern Electricity Board, the Eastern Electricity Board and the London Electricity Board. It covered an area of about 1,000 square miles, including much of Shropshire, Staffordshire and Worcestershire. The JEA included representatives of Midland Electricity Corporation; Wolverhampton, Walsall, West Bromwich, Cannock and Shrewsbury councils; colliery owners; railway companies; and electricity industry workers. It covered an area of 800 square miles of Staffordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire including Stoke-on-Trent. It acquired the Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford power stations on 1 April 1930. Thereafter Stoke Corporation and Stafford Corporation purchased electricity in bulk from the JEA. It was based in York Chambers, Kingsway, Stoke-on-Trent. The joint electricity authority built the 120 MW Meaford A power station first commissioned in 1947. Upon abolition in 1948 the JEA’s supply assets were transferred to the Midlands Electricity Board, with generating assets going to the British Electricity Authority. == Abolition ==

As described above, joint electricity authorities were abolished on 31 March 1948 under the provisions of the Electricity Act 1947 (10 & 11 Geo. 6. c. 54). With nationalisation effective from 1 April 1948 the generating and transmission assets of the JEAs were transferred to the British Electricity Authority. The electricity distribution and sales functions devolved to one or more of the new regional electricity boards. == See also ==