Evolution of a Modern Energy Company

The mergers and acquisitions currently taking place in the energy industry are often thought to be new to our times but are actually part of an on-going process common in the energy industry since its inception. The paper traces the evolution of Conectiv, a current mid-Atlantic supplier of energy and energy delivery company, from its foundations over 100 years ago as Wilmington Coal Gas Company and Electric Light Company of Atlantic City through dozens of mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, with products as diverse as electricity, gas, ice, trolleys, trains, steam, cooling, appliances, telephone service, and even the Internet. The impact of technological advances, both within the power industry and in society, as well as major historical events such as the Great Depression or World War II, will be highlighted.