Nuclear Electric was formed as a result of the privatisation of the UK Electricity Supply Industry.

When the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) was split up, its power stations were divided between PowerGen and National Power

National Power

- History :National Power was formed following the privatisation of the UK electricity market in 1990. In England and Wales the Central Electricity Generating Board, which was responsible for the generation and transmission of electricity was split into three generating companies Powergen, National...

. The nuclear stations, Magnox

Magnox

Magnox is a now obsolete type of nuclear power reactor which was designed and is still in use in the United Kingdom, and was exported to other countries, both as a power plant, and, when operated accordingly, as a producer of plutonium for nuclear weapons...

, AGR

Advanced gas-cooled reactor

An advanced gas-cooled reactor is a type of nuclear reactor. These are the second generation of British gas-cooled reactors, using graphite as the neutron moderator and carbon dioxide as coolant...

 and the then under construction Sizewell B (PWR

Pressurized water reactor

Pressurized water reactors constitute a large majority of all western nuclear power plants and are one of three types of light water reactor , the other types being boiling water reactors and supercritical water reactors...

), were allocated to National Power in their nuclear division. Following the decision in 1989 not to include the nuclear assets in the privatisation process at that time, National Power (Nuclear) became Nuclear Electric.

John G. Collier

John G. Collier

John Gordon Collier FRS was a British chemical engineer and administrator, particularly associated with nuclear power for electricity production...

, formerly chair of UKAEA

United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority

The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority is a UK government research organisation responsible for the development of nuclear fusion power. It is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and was formerly chaired by Lady Barbara Judge CBE...

, was its first chairman, and its corporate headquarters were at Barnwood

Barnwood

Barnwood, in Gloucestershire, England is situated on the old Roman road that connects the City of Gloucester with Hucclecote, Brockworth and Cirencester....

, formerly the site of the Generation Design and Construction Division of the CEGB.

In 1996, the AGR and PWR assets of Nuclear Electric and Scottish Nuclear

Scottish Nuclear

Scottish Nuclear was formed as a precursor to the privatization of the Electricity Supply Industry in Scotland on 1 April 1990. It consisted of the nuclear assets of the South of Scotland Electricity Board...

 were combined and privatised as British Energy

British Energy

British Energy was the UK's largest electricity generation company by volume, before being taken over by Électricité de France in 2009. British Energy operated eight former UK state-owned nuclear power stations and one coal fired power station....

. The Magnox assets of both companies were transferred to Magnox Electric, which became part of British Nuclear Fuels

BNFL

British Nuclear Fuels Limited was a nuclear energy and fuels company owned by the UK Government. It was a former manufacturer and transporter of nuclear fuel , ran reactors, generated and sold electricity, reprocessed and managed spent fuel , and decommissioned nuclear plants and other similar...

in 1998.