The power station was owned and operated by Nelson Corporation prior to the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948.

[1] The power station was built in Charles Street, Nelson (53° 50′ 48″ N, 2° 12′ 28″ W)[2] and it first supplied electricity in 1892.

[3] Further equipment was added to meet the rising demand for electricity; by the 1920s it had a generating capacity of 6,400 kW.

[4] In 1900 a system was inaugurated by Nelson Corporation to generate electricity from domestic refuse.

[5] From the system's establishment in February 1903 the power station supplied electric current to Nelson Corporation Tramways.

[11] In 1895 the plant comprised Willans engines coupled directly to Holmes and Siemens dynamos.

[4] In 1946 Nelson power station supplied 8,079 MWh of electricity, the maximum output load was 6,600 MW.