Hitaveita Suðurnesja (in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈhɪːtaˌveiːta ˈsʏːðʏrˌnɛːsja/) was an Icelandic energy company. The largest shareholder was Reykjanesbær. The company was founded as a geothermal energy firm in the southwest of Iceland in 1974. It built a power plant at Svartsengi to tap the geothermal energy in the area,[1] and was completed in 1976. It was reportedly the first power plant in the world of its kind.[2] It produced and distributed heating and electricity for the entire Sudurnes region.[3]
In May 2008, Parliament passed Act no. 58/2008, amending some laws on natural resources and energy. As a result, Hitaveita Suðurnesja was divided into two independent companies, HS Utilities Ltd., distributing electricity, and HS Orka, heating and freshwater, which came into effect on 1 July 2008.[4]