28th February 1903
Plans for St Sampson power station approved
Plans for the power station at St Sampson were approved on 28 February 1903. When built, the station would be Guernsey’s second generating facility. It was desperately needed to cope with rising demand.
Guernsey’s first power station first had been constructed at Les Amballes in St Peter Port in 1900. It was an ambitious project, which had brought electric lighting to the town.
Yet within just two years, demand was already outstripping supply. It was obvious something had to be done to supplement the existing facility, so plans were put in place for a second generating site in St Sampson.
The growing need for electricity
Once St Sampson’s power station had been completed, it supplemented, rather than replaced the Les Amballes site. The two stations were linked by cable, and excess supply was stored in batteries. This allowed the generators to be switched off three days a week without subscribers losing the power they needed.
This was an importand consideration for the businesses that ran them. At the time, the electricity operators were still private concerns, so being able to shut down for half the week would help them cut costs. They could reduce the amount of oil they burned without jeopardising the supply, which in turn increased their profits.
Public ownership beckons
Naturally, Guernsey couldn’t allow private enterprise to keep control of such a vital resource as its electricity supply. So, in 1938, when slightly less than 3000 customers had been connected, the States bought them as an island resource.
The station at Les Amballes eventually closed down, and the St Sampson site extended and upgraded. Its operating capacity has grown with the addition of new generators and a whole new hall to house them in. It is supplemented by undersea cables between Guernsey and Jersey. Known as the Channel Islands Electricity Grid these link to France, and provide the majority of the electricity that Guernsey needs day to day.
Copyright in the thumbnail image linked to this post is owned by Colin Smith and
licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
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Other events that occured in February
The Channel Islands were cut off from the outside world
- A break in the telegraph cable that connected the Channel Islands to the mainland left Guernsey and Jersey cut off from the outside world in 1878.
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Birth of concrete poet Dom Sylvester Houedard
- This Guernsey-born monk attained legendary status during his lifetime as a pioneer in the art of concrete poetry.
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Release of Reverend Harry Samuel
- The priest who was imprisoned for marrying an uncle and his niece was released after intervention from the Home Secretary.
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Alderney gets its first full-time radio station
- Alderney radio station Quay FM launched on a full-time community radio licence in 2015, having broadcast in summer and at Christmas since 2000.
- Read more…