AES is one of the world's leading independent power producers. The company has interests in more than 120 generation facilities in about 30 countries throughout the Americas, Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East that give it a combined net generating capacity of 40,300 MW. AES sells electricity to utilities and other energy marketers through wholesale contracts or on the spot market. AES also sells power directly to customers worldwide through its interests in distribution utilities, mainly in Latin America. In 2009 the company had 1,900 MW of power plants under development in four countries.

Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative keeps the power flowing to the residences and businesses of more than 200,360 member-owners in five counties along the central Florida Gulf Coast. The power distribution utility, which was originally set up in 1941, receives wholesale generation and transmission services from the Seminole Electric Cooperative. Withlacoochee River Electric, a non-profit organization, returns any funds remaining at the end of each year to its membership. The cooperative has returned more than $190 million to its member-owners.

Snam Rete Gas (formerly Snam S.p.A.) transmits natural gas across Italy, managing a network of about 19,300 miles of transmission pipeline. The network includes eight regional centers, 55 local management centers, and 11 compressor stations, and transports more than 83 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year. The company is also the only liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification and storage services provider in Italy (operating through subsidiary GNL Italia). Energy behemoth Eni controls Snam Rete Gas, which was formed in 2001. In 2009 Eni consolidated its gas units, and sold its Italgas gas distributor and its Stogit gas storage unit to Snam Rete.

Pennon Group Plc South West Water subsidiary provides water and wastewater services to more than 1.6 million people (more during the summer tourism season) in England's South West region, including Devon, Cornwall, and parts of Dorset and Somerset. South West Water's Echo South West unit contracts to run customer service operations for utilities. Pennon subsidiary Viridor Waste -- one of the largest waste management businesses in the UK -- offers solid waste collection, landfill disposal, and recycling and other services.

TransAlta has transformed itself from one of Canada's largest electric utilities into a global independent power producer with assets in Australia, Canada, and the US. The company has about about 8,990 MW of operational generating capacity. It trades and markets electricity and gas in Canada and the US. Most of TransAlta's generating capacity is coal-fired; the rest comes from gas-fired, hydroelectric, and alternative-energy plants. TransAlta has sold its regulated distribution and transmission businesses to focus on power generation and marketing, primarily to industrial and wholesale customers. The company has more than 80 power plants in Australia, Canada, and the US.

Staying true to its more-than-a-century-old watery origins, Turlock Irrigation District (TID) provides irrigation services to almost 6,000 farmers in its service area (150,000 acres of farmland). The company also provides electric generation, transmission, and distribution services to more than 98,000 retail customers in and around Turlock, California, and it sells power to wholesale customers. TID became a generator and distributor of electricity in 1923. The district provides electric service to its customer base in a 662-sq.-ml. service area encompassing portions of Merced, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne counties.

Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) keeps the lights on in the Pacific Northwest. The US Department of Energy power marketing agency operates a transmission grid (with more than 15,000 miles of high-voltage lines) that delivers about 35% of the electrical power consumed in the region. The electricity that BPA wholesales is generated primarily by 31 federal hydroelectric plants and one private nuclear facility. BPA also purchases power from other hydroelectric, gas-fired, and wind and solar generation facilities in North America. Founded in 1937, BPA sells power to more than 140 primary customers, mainly public and investor-owned utilities in the Pacific Northwest.

Summit Energy Services is a major provider of energy management and procurement services for industrial and commercial companies, and operates in 56 countries. A consolidator in a fragmented industry, the company's offerings include market intelligence reporting, need and competitive supply analysis, contract negotiation, utility bill auditing, risk advisory planning, and energy efficiency projects. It serves the automotive, healthcare, transportation, and food industries, as well as chemical, metal, paper, and plastic manufacturing companies, and municipal and state governments and hospitality and real estate management enterprises. Summit Energy Services has more than 650 clients.

South Carolina Electric & Gas (SCE&G) is a regulated utility with 659,000 electricity and 313,000 natural gas customers in the Palmetto State. The utility, a subsidiary of SCANA, owns 24,500 miles of power distribution lines and more than 15,700 miles of gas transmission mains; it also operates 17 fossil-fueled, nuclear, and hydroelectric power generation facilities with 5,695 MW of capacity. Its service area covers 23,000 sq. mls.SCE&G purchases additional power from other independent generators and utility companies, including SCANA-owned affiliate South Carolina Generating, and it sells wholesale power to other utilities and marketers.

Pepco Holdings has more power than any politician in the populace of the US capital. The holding company distributes electricity and natural gas through its Potomac Electric Power (Pepco), Delmarva Power & Light, and Atlantic City Electric utilities to about 1.9 million customers in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Washington, DC. Nonregulated operations include independent power production, wholesale and retail energy marketing, and energy management services, through the company's Pepco Energy Services units.

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