The Boston Edison Company (BECo) was incorporated as the Edison Electric Illuminating Company of Boston in 1886.
It was one of the earliest
electric utility
An electric utility is a company in the electric power industry (often a public utility) that engages in electricity generation and distribution of electricity for sale generally in a regulated market. The electrical utility industry is a major pr ...
companies in the
United States of America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
. The company was formally renamed the Boston Edison Company in June 1937, although it had also been previously known by this name informally.
Electric vehicles
Edward S. Mansfield was placed in charge of BECo's activities in relation to
electric vehicles
An electric vehicle (EV) is a vehicle that uses one or more electric motors for propulsion. It can be powered by a collector system, with electricity from extravehicular sources, or it can be powered autonomously by a battery (sometimes cha ...
.
On 3 April 1911 BECo organised a conference at the Hotel Thorndike, in Boston to encourage closer co-operation between
electric vehicle
An electric vehicle (EV) is a vehicle that uses one or more electric motors for propulsion. It can be powered by a collector system, with electricity from extravehicular sources, or it can be powered autonomously by a battery (sometimes cha ...
manufacturers and
central station
Central stations or central railway stations emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century as railway stations that had initially been built on the edge of city centres were enveloped by urban expansion and became an integral part of the ...
managers in the Boston area.
Dugald C. Jackson
Dugald Caleb Jackson (13 February, 1865, Kennett Square – July 1, 1951) was an American electrical engineer. He received the IEEE Edison Medal for "outstanding and inspiring leadership in engineering education and in the field of generation an ...
attended and promised the support of MIT in providing scientific research to support the development of the electric vehicle industry.
Disappearance as independent company
In 1999 it was merged with Cambridge Electric Light Company, Commonwealth Electric Company, and NSTAR Gas Company to form
NSTAR.
After subsequent mergers, what remains of the Boston Edison Company is now part of
Eversource Energy
Eversource Energy is a publicly traded, Fortune 500 energy company headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut, and Boston, Massachusetts, with several regulated subsidiaries offering retail electricity, natural gas service and water service to appro ...
.
South Boston power plant
The company operated the L Street Power Plant (now 776 Summer Street) in South Boston, which was constructed in 1898, with the turbine hall constructed in 1903. At the time of decommissioning it belonged to
Exelon
Exelon Corporation is an American Fortune 100 energy company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and incorporated in Pennsylvania. It generates revenues of approximately $33.5 billion and employs approximately 33,400 people. Exelon is the larges ...
, which sold it for redevelopment in 2016. The Exelon New Boston Power Plant had been built on the same property without demolishing the original Edison building.
Real estate firms Redgate and Hilco Redevelopment proposed a mixed-use development, which would require the state to release a 2014 deed restriction prohibiting residential construction. The site adjoins
Conley Terminal
The Port of Boston ( AMS Seaport Code: 0401, UN/LOCODE: US BOS) is a major seaport located in Boston Harbor and adjacent to the City of Boston. It is the largest port in Massachusetts and one of the principal ports on the East Coast of the Unite ...
and its
haul road A haul video is a video recording, posted to the Internet, in which a person discusses items that they recently purchased, sometimes going into detail about their experiences during the purchase and the cost of the items they bought. The posting of ...
(which is the reason for the restriction), and a reserved shipping channel.
Legislature may get involved in fight over housing at old power plant in South Boston
/ref>
See also
* Boston Edison Power Station
The Boston Edison Power Station is a historic power station at 374 Homer Street in Newton, Massachusetts. Built in 1904 and twice enlarged, it is a significant reminder of the city's early electrification efforts, providing power to both area bui ...
(Newton))
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edison Company, Boston
Electric power companies of the United States
1886 establishments in Massachusetts