History
Essent was born in 1999 from the merger between PNEM/Mega and EDON. These two partners were themselves the result of various mergers. In 2009 Essent became part of the RWE Group.
PNEM/Mega Group
In 1997, the Noord-Brabant PNEM (incorporated in 1914) and Mega Limburg joined forces to form the PNEM/Mega Group. Mega Limburg resulted from the merger in 1992 of PLEM (the energy company for the province of Limburg incorporated in 1909) and Limagas.
EDON Group
The EDON Group came into being following the merger in 1993 between the provincial companies IJsselmij (incorporated as IJsselcentrale in 1911) and EGD (the energy company for the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe). EGD itself arose from the merger in 1967 between PEB Groningen (incorporated in 1913) and NV Maatschappij tot aanleg en exploitatie van laagspanningsnetten (the company responsible for constructing and operating the low-tension networks).
Local and regional energy companies
Over the years, countless municipal energy companies and regional gas companies have become affiliated with the provincial companies, with the separation of distribution and generation of electricity in 1986 accelerating this process.