July 1, 2000: RTE created as an internal division of EDF, with independent finance, management and accounts.
September 1, 2005: RTE becomes a state-owned limited company and subsidiary of the EDF Group, under the Law of August 9, 2004 on public service electricity and gas and electricity and gas companies.

The Law of August 9, 2004 states that the system operator:

• Retains responsibility for maintaining, operating and developing the electricity transmission system,
• Becomes the owner of its industrial assets,
• Is a company whose capital continues to be held entirely "by EDF, the State or other companies or institutions belonging to the public sector".

The Decree approving the company's by-laws appeared in the Official Journal of the French Republic on August 31, 2005. Among other things, it specifies the legal form, name and purpose of the new company, the composition of its capital and its method of corporate governance.
A limited company and subsidiary of the EDF Group, the company RTE EDF Transport is authorized to use the "Réseau de Transport d’Electricité" commercial brand or the "RTE" logo.

The missions entrusted to it under the Laws of February 10, 2000 and August 9, 2004 are reaffirmed.