Electricity
Small water -or steam- driven electricity power stations began operating in Catalonia in 1870. Industrial usage and street lighting gradually increased, leading to larger power supply companies, often set up with foreign capital, and the construction of the first thermal power stations. In the 1920s, the construction of high-tension lines to supply power reduced the costs of distributing electricity and enabled water resources to be used on a large scale. Barcelona Traction, Light and Power, otherwise known as La Canadenca, built the Tremp, Camarasa and Serós power stations and held a dominant share of the electricity production and supply industry.