The Energy Industry

Energy supply and distribution in Britain is largely controlled by nine public enterprises, some of which have holdings in private firms. In England and Wales, electricity is supplied by the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB), and policy is formulated by the Electricity Council. In Scotland, electricity supply is the responsibility of the South of Scotland Electricity Board (SSEB) and the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board (NoSHEB), while in Northern Ireland a new authority, the Northern Ireland Electricity Service (NIES), is responsible. This started operating in 1973. The British Gas Corporation (BGC) and the National Coal Board (NCB) are both fully nationalized bodies, while the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and the British National Oil Corporation (BNOC) have varying degrees of holdings in private industry. BNOC is the newest public corporation, having been set up in January 1976. These corporations form the basis of the energy industry, here taken in its broadest sense as meaning all semi- or nongovernmental organizations in the energy field. Apart from the bodies directly interested in energy supply, there are various research boards, such as the Science Research Council (SRC) and the National Research Development Corporation (NRDC), which include energy research in their activities, and the plethora of interest and cause groups concerned with energy and the environment.