1895
Bryan Water & Electric Light plant
1909
The utility system in Bryan became municipally owned in 1909 after a fire at the City Ball/Opera House cast doubt on the reliability of the local investor owned company. It seems that Bryan Ice Water and Light, which had furnished all three services for several years, couldn't start the fire pump on the night the blaze broke out.
1911
The City of Bryan purchases an electric distribution system from Bryan Ice, Water & Light for $7,650. Streetlights on Main Street are installed.
1913
Bryan Water, Ice & Light is the main source of electricity for Bryan residents in the early 1900s. The company posts their first profit of $874. To compare, a gallon of milk costs 13 cents.
Diesel engine at Bryan Power Company is installed
1919
City of Bryan purchases Bryan Power Company to revamp electricity distribution system and saves $65 a month. This was the beginning of the utility company being owned directly by the citizens of Bryan. At the time, there were about 768 customers being served by the company, primarily for lighting alone.
1921 - 1925
Streetlights installed in certain residential areas, including East and West 26th, Bryan Hospital, and Fannin School.
1925
City Commission places order for an additional unit for the city power plant, to better serve the growing population of Bryan.
1938
The City of Bryan joined Depression relief efforts and took advantage of a loan from the Rural Electric Administration (REA). Rural Electric Division of BTU delivers power to customers in Brazos, Burleson, and Robertson counties through 800 miles of line for the first time. Service area grew until Bryan's Rural Division extended as far west as Tunis in Burleson County and as far north as Wheelock in Robertson County.
1949
Bryan Municipal Power Plant on Atkins Street is built, beginning with one steam electric unit that will grow to seven. The City will add a gas turbine in 1973, which is still active and in use today.
1962
$10 million Atkins Plant serves 1200 municipal and rural customers.
1978
In the early 1970’s, BTU determined a need to supplement the generation resources at Atkins with generation that was both modern and more efficient than the Atkins units. The Roland C. Dansby Power Plant Unit #1 was constructed and began operation. Dansby plant is built five miles north of city limits; is powered by natural gas with a fuel oil backup.
1983
Bryan becomes part of the joint-action agency Texas Municipal Power Agency and builds Gibbons Creek Plant in Carlos. Gibbons Creek is a 470 MW western coal fired steam unit, BTU’s share of this unit is 102 MW.
2004
BTU begins operation of a new General Electric LM6000 generator, an environmentally sensitive and cost-effective generator to serve a growing customer base. Manmade Lake Bryan supplies cooling water to the 115-megawatt Dansby Plant, located about three miles west of FM 2818 on Sandy Point Road.
Oct. 2009
Children's Museum of the Brazos Valley hosted a special exhibit about BTU's history and the electrification of Bryan and the Brazos Valley, which began the month long celebration of BTU’s 100th Anniversary.
Oct. 7 2009
Second LM6000 generator, Dansby Unit #3, dedicated at Dansby Power Plant. BTU celebrates 100 years of service to the citizens of Bryan and the surrounding rural areas.
2010
Dansby Unit #3 Commissioned into service, January 11, 2010. BTU enters into an agreement with Fotowatio Renewable Ventures for the purchase of the output of a 10 MW solar power plant to be located in West Texas. Actual solar production will begin in late 2012. BTU also entered into an agreement with Iberdrola Renewables to purchase 30 MW of wind generated power from the Penascal 2 Wind Project in Kenedy County near the Texas coast. The solar and wind contracts benefit BTU customers by guaranteeing an even more diversified fuel mix while at the same time being an environmentally conscious utility by growing with clean, renewable energy. BTU’s QSE, Qualified Scheduling Entity, prepares and begins transacting in the Nodal Market which ERCOT rolled out December 1, 2010, throughout the ERCOT region.