MUNICIPAL ELECTRICITY SUPPLIES AND REFUSE DISPOSAL IN MERSEYSIDE AND NORTH-WALES

At the beginning of the 20th century Liverpool, having had a public el ectricity supply a decade before cities such as Manchester, Leeds or B ristol, held a prominent position in the electrical world. When in 187 9 the Liverpool Corporation Electric Lighting Act was passed it became the first on the statute book specifically related to lighting by ele ctricity. For many years during the early part of this century the opp ortunity was taken by many municipal authorities to combine the functi ons of refuse disposal and electricity generation. Despite the questio nable economic validity of these plants many were established to suppl y towns in the Merseyside and North Wales area during the period 1896 to 1904, making significant contributions to electricity generation fo r a number of years.