The seigniory which included Chambles, Périgneux, Saint-Marcellin and Saint-Rambert passed in the 17th century to the lords of Sury-le-Comtal, the De la Veuhes, and through them to the Sourdis family.
The plant was built between 1916 and 1919 to supply energy to the hydrometallurgic factory at nearby Saint-Chély-du-Tarn.
The English poet, author and biographer Richard Aldington lived in Sury-en-Vaux from 1958 until his death in 1962.
Sury received his Masters in Electrical Engineering with a specialization in Computer Technology from Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), Delhi, in 1978, and his Bachelors of Electrical Engineering with specialization in Electronics from Delhi College of Engineering, in 1976, both at the top of his class.