San Joaquin Light and Power Corporation
Encyclopedia
The San Joaquin Light and Power Corporation was a utility
company that provided electricity
to seven counties in the San Joaquin Valley
of California. The company initially opened as the San Joaquin Electric Company on April 1, 1895 with a powerhouse 37 miles from Fresno
. The company became the San Joaquin Power Company in 1905 and then the San Joaquin Light and Power Corporation in 1910. By 1920, the company had 11 powerhouses. In 1930, the San Joaquin Light and Power Corporation merged with the Great Western Power Company, which later became the Pacific Gas and Electric Company
.
Public utility
A public utility is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service . Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and regulation ranging from local community-based groups to state-wide government monopolies...
company that provided electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
to seven counties in the San Joaquin Valley
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
of California. The company initially opened as the San Joaquin Electric Company on April 1, 1895 with a powerhouse 37 miles from Fresno
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
. The company became the San Joaquin Power Company in 1905 and then the San Joaquin Light and Power Corporation in 1910. By 1920, the company had 11 powerhouses. In 1930, the San Joaquin Light and Power Corporation merged with the Great Western Power Company, which later became the Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company , commonly known as PG&E, is the utility that provides natural gas and electricity to most of the northern two-thirds of California, from Bakersfield almost to the Oregon border...
.