The United Illuminating Company
Encyclopedia
The United Illuminating Company (UI) is a New Haven, Connecticut
-based regional electric distribution company established in 1899. UI is engaged in the purchase, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity and related services to 325,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in 17 towns and cities in the Greater New Haven and Bridgeport areas. UI’s parent company, UIL Holdings Corporation
, is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol UIL.
In 1899, the New Haven Electric Company, under the leadership of James English
, acquired the Bridgeport Electric Light Company. The new company, renamed The United Illuminating Company, flourished in the new century as Connecticut became an important manufacturing center, and UI’s franchise spread outward from the cities of New Haven and Bridgeport to outlying towns. Regulated as a utility, UI for many years exclusively owned and operated the electric generation, transmission and distribution facilities in the greater New Haven and Bridgeport areas.
In 2000, as a result of the state of Connecticut’s 1998 deregulation legislation, UI was required to sell its electricity generation plants, including the facilities at New Haven and Bridgeport harbors, and to divest from other generation projects including the Connecticut Yankee and Millstone nuclear power plants.
In that same year, UI became a subsidiary of UIL Holdings Corporation
, a New Haven-based corporation structured to hold both the regulated UI and other non-regulated business entities.
UI continues to own and operate the transmission and distribution delivery infrastructure within its 17-town service territory.
(parent company of Connecticut Light and Power), has participated in a number of projects to improve the reliability of the power grid in southwest Connecticut. The first project was construction of the $350 million 345 kilovolt Bethel-Norwalk transmission line through the western part of the state, and was constructed entirely by Northeast Utilities.
Both companies together completed the 69-mile (112 km), 345 kilovolt Middletown-Norwalk transmission line
at a cost of $900 million. It was energized in 2009.
UIL Holdings Corporation http://www.uil.com
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
-based regional electric distribution company established in 1899. UI is engaged in the purchase, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity and related services to 325,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in 17 towns and cities in the Greater New Haven and Bridgeport areas. UI’s parent company, UIL Holdings Corporation
UIL Holdings Corporation
Headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut, UIL Holdings Corporation is a diversified energy delivery company serving a total of 690,000 electric and natural gas utility customers in 66 communities across two states, with combined total assets of over $4 billion....
, is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol UIL.
History
UI’s roots can be traced to 1881, with the founding of the New Haven Electric Lighting Company, established to provide electric lighting to the city of New Haven. The company set off to a troubled start and in 1883 was reorganized as the New Haven Electric Company.In 1899, the New Haven Electric Company, under the leadership of James English
James English
James English is the name of:*James Towers English , Brigadier General, commander of the British Legion in the South American Wars of Independence*James E. English , United States Representative and Senator from Connecticut...
, acquired the Bridgeport Electric Light Company. The new company, renamed The United Illuminating Company, flourished in the new century as Connecticut became an important manufacturing center, and UI’s franchise spread outward from the cities of New Haven and Bridgeport to outlying towns. Regulated as a utility, UI for many years exclusively owned and operated the electric generation, transmission and distribution facilities in the greater New Haven and Bridgeport areas.
In 2000, as a result of the state of Connecticut’s 1998 deregulation legislation, UI was required to sell its electricity generation plants, including the facilities at New Haven and Bridgeport harbors, and to divest from other generation projects including the Connecticut Yankee and Millstone nuclear power plants.
In that same year, UI became a subsidiary of UIL Holdings Corporation
UIL Holdings Corporation
Headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut, UIL Holdings Corporation is a diversified energy delivery company serving a total of 690,000 electric and natural gas utility customers in 66 communities across two states, with combined total assets of over $4 billion....
, a New Haven-based corporation structured to hold both the regulated UI and other non-regulated business entities.
UI continues to own and operate the transmission and distribution delivery infrastructure within its 17-town service territory.
Major Projects
United Illuminating, along with Northeast UtilitiesNortheast Utilities
Northeast Utilities is a publicly-traded, Fortune 500 energy company headquartered in Berlin, Connecticut, with several regulated subsidiaries offering retail electricity and natural gas service to more than 2.1 million customers in New England....
(parent company of Connecticut Light and Power), has participated in a number of projects to improve the reliability of the power grid in southwest Connecticut. The first project was construction of the $350 million 345 kilovolt Bethel-Norwalk transmission line through the western part of the state, and was constructed entirely by Northeast Utilities.
Both companies together completed the 69-mile (112 km), 345 kilovolt Middletown-Norwalk transmission line
Middletown-Norwalk transmission line
The Middletown-Norwalk Transmission Line is a 69-mile , 345-kilovolt AC transmission line between Middletown and Norwalk in the U.S. state of Connecticut...
at a cost of $900 million. It was energized in 2009.
External links
The United Illuminating Company http://www.uinet.comUIL Holdings Corporation http://www.uil.com