Sculcoates power station supplied electricity to Kingston upon Hull and the wider East Yorkshire area from 1898.

The power station was increased in size as demand for electricity grew, it was redeveloped several times: including major rebuilds in 1927–29 and in 1938–1952.

In 1880 Kingston upon Hull Corporation sought a Local Act of Parliament to allow it, or third parties, to generate and supply electricity for public lighting in the Old Town.

[1] This was only the second such legal authorisation in the United Kingdom following the Liverpool (Corporation) Electric Lighting Act 1879.

[3] This was granted by the Board of Trade and was confirmed by Parliament through the Electric Lighting Orders (No.6) Act 1890 (54 & 55 Vict.

[2] The station was located where the King George Docks railway line crosses the Beverley and Barmston Drain.

The railway enabled the delivery of coal to the station and the drainage channel provided cooling water.

[5] The first Sculcoates plant comprised Willans engines coupled directly to Siemens and Holmes dynamos.

[8] Coal was delivered to the site via dedicated sidings connected to the adjacent King George Dock line.

[11] To meet increasing demands for electricity the supply area served by Sculcoates power station was expanded.

Operating data for the period 1954–71 is shown in the table:[7][16][17] Sculcoates power station was decommissioned and disconnected from the national grid on 25 October 1976.