Empire District Electric (EDE) has the sovereign authority to light up its territory. The utility transmits and distributes electricity to a population base of more than 450,000 (or about 215,000 direct customers) in southwestern Missouri and adjacent areas of Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. It also supplies water to three Missouri towns and natural gas throughout most of the state. EDE's interests in fossil-fueled and hydroelectric power plants give it a generating capacity of 1,257 MW; it also buys and sells power on the wholesale market. In addition, the company is pursuing nonregulated opportunities such as leasing capacity on its fiber-optic network.

American Labelmark wants to take some of the danger out of hazardous materials. The firm's Labelmaster division sells books, training manuals, and protective equipment (such as steel salvage drums and spill kits) to companies that transport hazardous materials, helping them navigate the maze of government rules. It also makes labels and signage for hazardous materials and infectious waste transportation, along with labels concerning workplace safety and ergonomics. Its Reg-Trieve software division sells compliance materials on compact disks. American Labelmark also offers regulatory information online.

CHOICE! Energy Services and Texas Energy Services divisions the company provides consulting and price comparison services to retail customers. CHOICE! Energy Services also provides commodity brokerage and consulting services to energy producers and marketers, utilities, banks, and other corporations. Customers include BP and Morgan Stanley. President and CEO Javier Loya formed CHOICE! Energy in 1994.

Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA) is committed to redoubling efforts to serve this Florida city with three double letters in its name. KUA operates the municipal power distribution system serving 62,000 commercial and industrial, and residential customers in Kissimmee and surrounding areas. It also offers its customers internet, telephone, and security services. In addition, the community-owned utility has stakes in some power generation units. The century-old company is used to managing operations in a hurricane prone area. In 2009 the company piloted a 4-day working week option for its employees as a way to bring down costs.

Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) is prepared to serve an entire island nation. Founded in 1941, the government-owned utility is the sole electricity distributor for Puerto Rico, where it serves approximately 1.4 million residential and business customers. PREPA owns five primarily fossil-fueled power plants that give it nearly 5,800 MW of generating capacity, and it has more than 30,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines. In order to keep up with increasing demand, the Puerto Rican government has allowed independent power producers to build cogeneration plants on the island to sell power to PREPA.

Orival manufactures self-cleaning water filters, automatic water filters, and strainers for industrial and agricultural use as irrigation filters, cooling tower filters, industrial water filters, and HVAC filters. The company has installed units in more than 40 countries. Orival's products are flexible in design so that the company can cater to a wide range of customized orders and local requirements -- form single units, flange-to-flange systems, and complete skid mounted packages, to diverse construction standards, alternate flanges, and voltage standards.

Electricity Supply Board (ESB) is a leading electricity utility in Ireland, providing electricity generation, distribution, and supply. The state-owned company has several divisions that operate independently in the electricity market. Its ESB Power Generation unit operates 13 power stations in Ireland. Its generation plants have an installed capacity of more than 4,650 MW and serve a customer base of about 2 million. The group's ESB Networks owns the high-voltage transmission network and other distribution systems. ESB International develops power projects, including renewable energy plants worldwide; the company has installed 77 MW of wind farms in Ireland, and in 2010 acquired a 35 MW wind farm in Wales.

When the Blue Moon of Kentucky is not enough to light the way, East Kentucky Power Cooperative is there to help. The company generates and transmits electricity to 16 local distribution cooperatives, which in turn provide electricity to 519,000 customers in 87 counties in eastern Kentucky. East Kentucky Power operates more than 2,900 miles of transmission lines, and generates most of its electricity from primarily fossil-fueled power plants with more than 2,500 MW of capacity. The company also operates landfill-gas generation facilities and purchases hydroelectric power from the Southeastern Power Administration.

PPL packs a powerful punch in Pennsylvania, Kentucky and the UK, where it distributes electricity to 5.2 million customers through regulated subsidiaries PPL Electric Utilities (1.4 million customers), two utilities in Kentucky (1.2 million), and Western Power Distribution Holdings (2.6 million electricity customers). The company has 19,000 MW of generating capacity and also sells energy wholesale in key US markets. Once a global power player with interests in distribution companies worldwide, the company has opted for the UK as its non-US focus. Western Power Distribution operates two of the 15 distribution networks providing electricity service in the UK -- WPD (South West) and WPD (South Wales).

Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) provides electricity to 13.3 million customers in Japan's Kansai region. The utility has a generating capacity of more than 33,850 MW, which is produced at more than 160 hydroelectric, fossil-fueled, and nuclear power plants. As deregulation takes effect, KEPCO is moving into new business arenas, including retail natural gas sales in Japan. Additionally, KEPCO is engaged in information technology, telecommunications, construction and engineering services, environmental services, home security, real estate, transportation leasing, and other energy-related operations. It has about 50 main affiliated companies, primarily in Japan.

Inviting Real Estate Agents, Job Placements Agents, Educational Institutes, Software Service Providers, Real Estate Builders, Marriage Bureaus, Travel Agents, Restaurant Owners, Health & Fitness Centers and other Local Businesses to Post a FREE Classified Advertisement on Cootera.com Classifieds Website.