Newbury power station

The Board of Trade granted Newbury Corporation a Provisional Order in 1892 to generate and supply electricity to Newbury under the Electric Lighting Acts.{{Cite book|last=Garcke|first=Emile|title=Manual of Electrical Undertakings 1898-99 vol. 3|publisher=P. S. King and Son|year=1898|location=London|pages=254}} The {{visible anchor|Newbury Electric Lighting Order 1892}} was confirmed by Parliament through the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No. 3) Act 1892 (55 & 56 Vict. c. xxxviii).{{Cite web|title=Local Acts 1892|url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/changes/chron-tables/local/99|access-date=7 December 2020|website=legislation.gov.uk}} However, the town council did not develop the electricity undertaking.

In 1901 the Urban Electric Supply Company obtained a provisional order to supply electricity to Newbury. The Urban Electric Supply Company was founded in 1898 to obtain parliamentary powers to operate smaller electric light and tramway undertakings.{{Cite news|date=31 July 1905|title=Urban Electric Supply|work=The Times}} The {{visible anchor|Newbury Electric Lighting Order 1901}} was confirmed by the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No. 7) Act 1901 (1 Edw. 7. c. clxxiv).{{Cite web|title=Local Acts 1901|url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/changes/chron-tables/local/119|access-date=7 December 2020|website=legislation.gov.uk}}

The Urban Electric Supply Company built the power station at Greenham Mill ({{coord|51|24|07|N|1|18|53|W}})Ordnance Survey 25 inch England and Wales, Berkshire XLIII.1 (Greenham; Newbury), revised 1932, published 1934 over the River Kennet and which opened in January 1905. It used water wheels to generate electricity; the maximum head of water over Greenham weir was {{convert|6|ft|11|in|m|abbr=off}}.{{Cite book|last=Nicholson|title=Waterways Guide River Thames and the Southern Waterways|publisher=Nicholson|year=2014|isbn=9780007493814|location=Glasgow|pages=99}} In addition to the hydro-electric plant, gas-fired generators were installed at the power station.{{Cite book|last=Electricity Commissioners|title=Electricity Supply – 1920–23|publisher=HMSO|year=1925|location=London|pages=212–215, 496–501}}

Electricity was sold to customers in 1923 at 9.57 d./kWh for lighting and domestic use, and 3.26 d./kWh for power uses. The financial operating summary for the undertaking was as follows:

In 1937 the Wessex Electricity Company assumed ownership of several small municipal and company electricity undertakings, including Newbury. The Wessex company was founded in 1927 to distribute electricity across south-west England.{{Cite news|date=9 June 1939|title=Wessex Electricity Company|page=19|work=The Times}} It aimed to modernise, rationalise and integrate the distribution networks of its constituent companies. Its share capital was wholly owned by Edmundsons Electricity Corporation.

The water wheels and gas engines were decommissioned and replaced with diesel engine sets.{{Cite book|last=Garrett|first=Frederick|title=Garcke's Manual of Electricity Supply vol. 56|publisher=Electrical Press|year=1959|location=London|pages=A-79 A-143}}

The British electricity supply industry was nationalised in 1948 under the provisions of the Electricity Act 1947 (10 & 11 Geo. 6. c. 54).{{Cite web|title=Electricity Act 1947|url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6/10-11/54/contents/enacted|access-date=6 December 2020|website=legislation.gov.uk}} The Newbury electricity undertaking was abolished, ownership of Newbury power station was vested in the British Electricity Authority, and subsequently the Central Electricity Authority and the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB).{{Cite book|last=Electricity Council|title=Electricity supply in the United Kingdom: a Chronology|publisher=Electricity Council|year=1987|isbn=085188105X|location=London|pages=60, 69, 73}} At the same time the electricity distribution and sales responsibilities of the Newbury electricity undertaking were transferred to the Southern Electricity Board (SEB).

Newbury power station closed in about 1970.The station is listed in the CEGB Statistical Yearbook 1967 but not in the 1972 edition

The generating plant at Newbury in 1923 comprised:

• 1 × 52 kW water wheel, and direct current generator
• 1 × 60 kW water wheel, DC generator
• 2 × 80 kW gas engines, DC generator
• 2 × 200 kW gas engines, DC generator

This gave a total output of 672 kW.

Electricity was provided to customers at 480 and 240 Volts direct current.

The generating plant at Newbury in 1955 comprised:

• 1 × 110 kW diesel engine set DC 500 volts
• 2 × 180 kW diesel engine set DC 500 volts
• 1 × 1050 kW Ruston-Peebles diesel engine set 11 kV (installed December 1954)
• 1 × 1050 kW Ruston-Peebles diesel engine set 11 kV (installed January 1955)

The total generating capacity was 2.57 MW.

Electricity supply data for 1921-23 was:

Electricity Loads on the system were:

The operating data for Newbury power station was:{{Cite book|last=Electricity Commissioners|title=Generation of Electricity in Great Britain year ended 31 December 1946|publisher=HMSO|year=1947|location=London|pages=15}}CEGB Annual Report 1961-63, CEGB Statistical Yearbook 1967, 1972

• Timeline of the UK electricity supply industry
• List of power stations in England

{{reflist}}

Category:Demolished power stations in the United Kingdom

Category:Former power stations in England

Category:Buildings and structures in Newbury, Berkshire