The story
Key events in the history of the company:
1899: On the initiative of the Chamber of Commerce of Lyon, 27 representatives of chambers of commerce in the region voted in favor of developing the Rhone for the three purposes of navigation, irrigation and the use of the driving force. They asked for state funding.
1921: On 27 May the Organic Law of the CNR was published in the Official Journal. The development of the Rhône must comply with the three purposes, which are inseparable.
1933: On 27 May the CNR held its formative general assembly. The capital was divided into four equal groups. The first (A) was wholly owned by the City of Paris. The second (B) by 251 shareholders, local communities in the region interested in development. The third (C) by the PLM. Finally, the fourth (D), by the major industrial energy companies of the time, including Giros-Loucheur, Azaria, Empain, Mercier and Durand.
1934: The state granted the CNR a 27,000 hectares (67,000 acres) concession for the Rhone with a term of 99 years.
1935: Start of construction of the port of Lyon (later Port Edouard Herriot).
1937: Start of construction of the first dam on the Rhone, the Génissiat Dam.
1946: CNR narrowly escaped the nationalization of the electricity sector. Following the intervention of Léon Perrier and Édouard Herriot, Article 41 of the nationalization law said a special law to be passed before 31 December 1946 would determine the conditions for liquidation of the CNR.
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1948: CNR and EDF make an initial financial agreement during the commissioning of the Génissiat plant and dam.
1965: The mission of the CNR is redefined in the context of planning policy.
1980: End of development of the Lower Rhone (Vaugris) and law on the Rhine-Rhone link.
1986: End of the development of the Upper Rhone Sault Brénaz Dam.
1997: On 19 June, abandonment of the Rhine-Rhone project.
2000: Act of 10 February on the modernization and development of the public electricity service.
2001: 28 March – report of Michel Gentot allows the CNR to regain ownership of its production facilities. 1 April: CNR can freely market its electricity. 11 December: The Murcef law confirms the status of majority public ownership of CNR.
2003: Publication of decrees relating to the modernization of the concession and the implementation of laws; entry of Electrabel into the capital.
2006: CNR alone operates the Rhone facilities.
From Wikipedia’s article on Compagnie Nationale du Rhône, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5