Competition, control and the common good [electricity supply industry]

The last 75 years have seen tremendous changes take place in the public supply of electricity in the UK. The author describes some of the major events which, some might argue, have delayed the introduction of a properly-developed electricity supply infrastructure. Much of the discussion relates to ownership and control in the early days-some of which is just as relevant today. The oft-cited saying that `there is nothing new under the sun´ is shown to apply to UK electricity supply just as it does to many other aspects of life. Observations on the politics involved and their influence on the engineering aspects of the industry are made also