Electricity was generated for street lighting in Funchal, principal city of the Madeira islands, from 1897. The museum, located in the Central Termica do Funchal, the original power station, was established to commemorate the centenary of the event. It tells the story of how, from small beginnings with street lighting in the capital, electricity came to be used for an endless variety of purposes across the Madeiran archipelego. One section traces the history of how energy has been generated in the islands from wind, water and other sources. There are interactive displays in a Science and Technology Hall.