How it started
History
Rome's Municipal Electric company, better known by its Italian acronym AEM (for "Azienda Elettrica Municipale"), was founded in 1909 to provide public and private street lighting. In 1912, AEM opened the Centrale Montemartini, its first thermoelectric power plant through which AEM started selling electricity in Rome.
In 1937, the governor of Rome entrusted the company with building and managing of aqueducts as well as the water distribution network for the city. With the newfound responsibilities, AEM changed its name to AGEA (an acronym for "Azienda Governatoriale Elettricità e Acque", Italian for "Government Electricity and Water Company") before changing it again to its current name Acea in 1945. At the end of World War II, the Centrale Montemartini was the only available power plant still operational because it coincidentally escaped the bombings.
In 1953, the Municipal Council of Rome approved Acea's plan for self-sufficiency in electricity with the aim of improving the city's water system. For the Rome Olympics in 1960, Acea also took responsibility for the city's public lighting systems.
In 1964, Acea gained control of Rome's entire water network on the expiry of the concession to Acqua Pia Antica Marcia for the management of the Marcio Aqueduct.
In 1976, Acea's plan for hydro-sanitary and street lighting refurbishment was approved within the framework of the redevelopment policy of Rome's suburbs launched by the Rome Municipality. In 1979, the Peschiera-Capore aqueduct system was completed, which continues to be Rome's main water source.
From Wikipedia’s article on Acea, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2