In 1889, only five years after becoming a town, Calgary began receiving electricity. With this flashy new feature, the booming new metropolis became a city in 1894. The pioneer spirit that built Calgary made it a mecca for private industry.
Also in 1889, the Calgary Electric Lighting Company (Calgary Electric) and the Calgary Water Power Company Limited (Calgary Water Power) were both contracted by the municipal government to provide streetlights. They went head-to-head in competition.
The resulting rivalry contributed to the decline of Calgary Electric, which closed in 1894. Calgary Water Power continued to serve its customers in Calgary's downtown area until 1928.
In 1904, The City of Calgary (The City) built its own electric light plant. The City of Calgary Electric System (later to become ENMAX Corporation) began operating on December 2, 1905.
The new utility operated several small coal-fired power plants in its first two decades. In 1911, it began to purchase power from Calgary Power Limited (Calgary Power), a private electric-generating company that later took over Calgary Water Power. Calgary Power later became known as TransAlta Corporation.
In 1928, The City stopped generating its own electricity and began buying its complete supply from a wholesaler. The City focused its efforts on transmission and distribution and became the exclusive distributor of electricity in Calgary and surrounding areas.