Electricity was introduced to the territory of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in 1931 by the then Crown Colony Government. At that time, the service was provided to thirty-two customers in the capital city, Kingstown during the night. In 1953 the Common Wealth Development Corporation (CDC) took over operations of the electricity business on the island. 

The formation of St. Vincent Electricity Services Limited (VINLEC) in 1961 set the pace for the development of the electricity sector in the country. During the early 1970’s the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines acquired 49% shares, while 51% remained with the CDC. The operations were further streamlined with the enactment of the Electricity Supply Act of 1973. On July 1st 1985, VINLEC became a state owned entity, when the government acquired the remaining 51% shares of the Company.

VINLEC serves just over 46,000 (March 2020) customers and the service is accessible to 98% of the population. Electricity is generated at the Company’s diesel Power Stations that are located at Cane Hall, Lowmans Bay, Bequia, Union Island, Canouan and Mayreau. Approximately 18-20% of electricity is produced annually at the Hydro Plants that are located at Cumberland, Richmond and South Rivers, while our solar farms account for approximately 2% of annual production. VINLEC supplies electricity to its customers through a network spanning approximately 350 miles of 33kV, 11kV, 400V and 230V lines.

The Company has just over three hundred members of staff who are spread across various locations and eight Departments. These Departments are Generation, Transmission and Distribution, Planning, Finance, Human Resources and Administration, Customer Services, Information Systems and Internal Audit.