Consolidated Edison

Consolidated Edison is a leading energy services company. Consolidated Edison operates one of the world's largest energy delivery systems, providing electricity, gas and steam to most of New York City and Westchester County.

1871: Tweed was a member of the board of the Harlem Gas Light Company, a precursor to the Consolidated Edison Company.

1878: Such an immense project naturally would require capital, and in October Edison's group joined forces with Wall Street financiers in forming the Edison Electric Light Company. The inventor shelved his other projects and devoted himself and his considerable staff to experiments in electric light. It was clear to Edison that electricity was destined to light the world, and he focused his energies on solving the problems remaining in its development.

1880: Edison simultaneously had solved most of the generation and transmission problems, and was ready to apply to the city of New York for permission to build the nation's first commercial electric power station.

1881: The newly formed Edison Electric Illuminating applied for and received its license--apparently with the help of liberal payments to New York's open-handed city government--and at 3 p.m. on September 4, currently began to flow from the generators at 255-57 Pearl Street in lower Manhattan.

1882: The New York Steam Company began providing service in lower Manhattan.

1884: The inventor and his associates incorporated many subsidiary manufacturing companies in order to build power stations wherever they were wanted, greatly assisted by a young financial wizard, Samuel Insull, Edison had even gained control of Edison Light as well as Edison Illuminating. Although the latter had come under the managing direction of Edison's group in a proxy fight, its largest block was controlled by the interests of J.P. Morgan.

1899: Consolidated Gas bought NYG&ELH&P when Consolidated Gas decided to use its superior financial might to overcome a growing technological gap by buying up as many electricity companies as it could.

1901: The company merged with Edison's Illuminating Company to create the New York Edison Company.

1906: The power of the legislature to fix rates of return for utilities was tested in a landmark court case arising out of its attempt to limit Consolidated Gas's price for its gas to 80 cents per 1,000 cubic feet.

1932: The long process of unifying New York's various power companies continued, and Consolidated Gas was the largest company in the world providing electrical service.

1936: With electric sales far outstripping gas sales, the company incorporated and the name was changed to Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc.

1954: Consolidated Edison acquired land on the Hudson River in Buchanan, NY, for the Indian Point nuclear power plant.

1955: Con Ed was among the first utilities to apply for permission from the Atomic Energy Commission to build and operate a private atomic power plant.

1962: Con Ed begins the operation of a private atomic power plant.

1965: While revenues of $840 million made Con Ed the nation's largest utility, its revenue growth was very slow, net earnings were low, and earnings per share were moving up at only 4 percent per year, or half the pace of a typical competitor such as Commonwealth Edison in Chicago.

1974: State government buys two of Con Ed's generating plants for $612 million.

1975: Indian Point 3 was sold to the New York Power Authority.

1982: Luce retired in September and was succeeded by Arthur Haupsburg.

1993: In addition, taxes accounted for 25 percent of Con Ed's revenues, by far the highest in the country.

1997: The first phase of a five-year process of deregulation began, allowing some commercial and residential customers to choose their power suppliers.

2000: With more than 14 000 employees, Consolidated Edison, Inc. is considered one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the United States According to Forbes, it is considered one of the top 2000 largest public companies in the world.

To provide energy services to our customers safely, reliably, efficiently, and in an environmentally sound manner; to provide a workplace that allows employees to realize their full potential; to provide a fair return to our investors; and to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve.

We will do that by investing in, building, and operating reliable, resilient, and innovative energy infrastructure, advancing electrification of heating and transportation, and aggressively transitioning away from fossil fuels to a net-zero economy by 2050.