First public electricity power station

The first power station built to supply electrical power for public applications was sited at 57 Holborn Viaduct, London, UK. Built by the Edison Electric Light Station company, the power station opened in January 1882. A Babcock and Wilcos boiler provided steam to power a 125-HP engine, which in turn drove a 27-ton 110-V DC generator, affectionately known as Jumbo. The generator supplied power to light the Holborn Viaduct and local businesses that could be reached by placing wiring through the culverts of the viaduct without digging into the road (which at that time was forbidden by the gas companies who held a monopoly on subsurface road pipework). London's famous City Temple and Old Bailey were customers of this new service, along with the General Post Office which could not be reached via the culverts but had a special overhead cable installed. The station closed in September 1886 after a successful period of operation that Edison himself hailed as a success. This formed the basis for the design of many new power stations.