North Wales and South Cheshire Joint Electricity Authority

The North Wales and South Cheshire Joint Electricity Authority was the first joint electricity authority (JEA) to be constituted, on 1 August 1923, under the provisions of the Electricity (Supply) Act 1919 (9 & 10 Geo. 5. c. 100), and the Electricity (Supply) Act 1922 (12 & 13 Geo. 5. c. 46). The JEA transferred some powers, rights and obligations to the North Wales Power Company, this included all rights of distribution of electricity in the area. From this time the JEA was effectively the North Wales Power Company. == North Wales Power Company ==

The North Wales Power Company Limited was registered on 30 July 1903 as the North Wales Power and Traction Company Limited. Its business was as engineers, suppliers of electricity, and owners of tramways and railways. It ran of gauge tramways in Llandudno and Colwyn Bay, and Wrexham and district. The company’s electricity was generated by hydro-electricity. At Cwm Dwli water was drawn from Lake Llydaw and flowed through tunnels and steel pipes to the power station in the Gwynant valley. In 1915 electricity was generated by four Pelton wheels coupled to four 1.5 MW 3-phase alternators. Electricity was supplied to quarries and in bulk to long distance consumers. The North Wales and South Cheshire Electricity District Order 1923 was confirmed on 1 August 1923. The district included Anglesey, Caernarvonshire, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Merionethshire, Montgomeryshire, and parts of Cheshire, Shropshire, and Cardegoneshire. The area served was about 1,000 square miles. At its first meeting on 12 October 1923 the joint electricity authority transferred to the company certain powers, rights and obligations regarding the generation and supply of electricity. In 1924 the North Wales Power Company issued stock to the value of £2.2 million. This was used to construct several major projects: to build the Maentwrog power station with an initial capacity of 16,000 horsepower (12 MW); to increase the catchment area of the Cwm Dyli power station; to extend the transmission system to Crewe, to industrial districts, and to coastal towns. In 1929 the British Power and Light Corporation acquired a controlling interest in the North Wales Power Company. == Technical specifications ==

The engineering and financial information on the North Wales Power Company in 1923 and 1937 is shown in the table. The technical and operational data for the constituent generating stations is shown in the tables. == Abolition ==

The North Wales and South Cheshire Joint Electricity Authority and the North Wales Power Company Limited were both abolished on 31 March 1948 when the British Electricity Industry was nationalised. The generating plant and transmission systems devolved to the British Electricity Authority and the distribution systems to the Merseyside and North Wales Electricity Board. == See also ==