NTE is one of the largest producers of electricity in Norway, with an annual production of 3.4 terawatt-hours (12 PJ) per year (2013).

The company also construct a network of primarily optical fiber based broadband supplemented with ADSL to all households in Nord-Trøndelag though the subsidiary NTE Bredbånd AS.

On June 22, 1919, the County of Nord-Trøndelag decided to found NTE and build a hydroelectric power plant at Follafoss in Verran Municipality.

This was due to a national encouragement from the authorities to create larger, vertical integrated power companies, preferably owned by counties and not municipalities, through the 1970s and 80s.

On 5 October 2009, NTE and Østfold Energi announced that they, through their 50–50% joint venture Norsk Vannkraftproduksjon had bought the power stations Siso and Laksola from Elkem for NOK 4.3 billion.