Business and government in electricity network integration in Western Europe, c.1900–1950

Bibliographic Data

ID8420286
AuthorsRobert Millward (corresponding author)
Year2006
Volume48
Issue4
Pages479-500
Publication date2006-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueBusiness History (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0007-6791 • E-ISSN: 1743-7938
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00076790600808617
OpenAlexW1968460218
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited29

A cross-country comparison is made of the moves to system integration, at the national level, of electricity supply in several Western European countries. Private electricity business firms were dominant in France, Italy and Spain and large generating enterprises and transporting groups grew through mergers and agreements. In Germany, Scandinavia and the UK, municipalities were more common and were resistant to mergers and network development. Several national networks had emerged by the 1940s but hardly any were nationally managed in the sense of ensuring electricity was everywhere supplied from the lowest cost source. The article considers the economic gains from integration and argues that it developed successfully where central governments became actively involved

Business · Business history · Economic history · Economics · Electricity · European union · Government (linguistics · Industrial organization · International trade · Western europe · Engineering · European history and politics

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