British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority, which operates as BC Hydro, distributes electricity to the 1.8 million residential and business customers. The province-owned utility owns more than 46,500 miles of transmission and distribution lines, and it operates hydroelectric and fossil-fueled power plants about 11,350 MW of generating capacity. Subsidiary Powerex markets and trades energy throughout North America. To increase efficiencies in green power production, in 2010 BC Hydro consolidated its transmission operations with those of the province-owned British Columbia Transmission. A Crown corporation owned by British Columbia, BC Hydro is regulated by British Columbia Utilities Commission.

Puget Energy is one of Washington State's largest utilities. Its electricity supply and transmission business, Puget Sound Energy, provides electricity to more than 1 million customers and natural gas to about 749,000 customers in western Washington. The utility owns fossil-fueled and hydroelectric plants as well as wind farms with a cumulative total of about 5,050 MW of capacity. In 2009, Puget Holdings LLC, a consortium led by Australian bank unit Macquarie Infrastructure Partners, acquired Puget Energy for $7.4 billion. The deal strengthens Puget Energy's access to cash to pay down debt and for future growth.

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).

Mississippi County get their electricity from a cooperative. Mississippi County Electric Cooperative (MCEC) serves customers in the northeast corner of Arkansas about 60 miles north of Memphis. The area is home to two steel mills owned by Nucor Corporation that are powered by MCEC power; most customers are industrial or agricultural. The coop also offers Internet service via rural satellite broadband provider WildBlue, and provides its customers with energy audits and information on saving energy. It is a member of Touchstone Energy, a national alliance of electric cooperatives in nearly 40 states. MCEC was formed in 1938.

Westar Energy wished upon a star, and the answer was -- "focus on power utility resources." Westar Energy has a generating capacity of more than 7,100 MW (mostly from fossil-fueled facilities) and serves about 685,000 electricity customers in Kansas through its utility subsidiaries. Westar Energy supplies power to 368,000 retail customers in central and northeast Kansas, and subsidiary Kansas Gas and Electric (KGE) supplies power to 317,000 retail customers in south-central and southeastern Kansas. The company operates 34,200 miles of transmission and distribution lines. It supplies wholesale electric power to more than 30 cities in Kansas and four electric cooperatives that serve rural areas.

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) digs doling out energy in sandy Southern California. The company is a regulated utility that serves 1.4 million electricity customers and more than 840,000 natural gas customers in San Diego County and a portion of southern Orange County. The electric utility segment owns about 22,200 miles of power distribution lines, which serve about 25 communities; its 1,870 miles of transmission lines are managed by the California Independent System Operator. SDG&E also has limited power generation operations (it owns or contracts more than 5,500 MW of generating capacity). The gas utility operates almost 170 miles of transmission pipelines and about 8,420 miles of distribution mains.

Southern Californians soak up the sun, and the energy. The latter is where Southern California Public Power Authority comes in. The power authority generates and transmits electricity for 10 municipal distribution utilities and one irrigation district in southwestern California. Members include the municipal utilities of the cities Anaheim, Burbank, Colton, Glendale, Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Riverside. The authority has interests in three power plants and three transmission projects in the western US. It is constructing a fourth generation project. Southern California Public Power Authority also provides legislative representation and cost efficiency services to its members.

The utility receives wholesale power through its membership in the North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency. One of 32 municipal members of the North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency, GUC joined the Power Agency in 1982.For Greenville citizens the alternative to "YUK!" (no power, natural gas supply, potable water, or sanitation), is GUC. Greenville Utilities Commission (GUC) distributes electricity, natural gas, water, and wastewater services to residents and businesses in the city of Greenville, and 75% of Pitt County, in North Carolina, for a combined total of more than 143,000 customer connections.

Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division (MLGW) helps lighten up the Memphis blues. The municipally owned utility provides electricity, water, and natural gas services for all of Shelby County, Tennessee, including the city of Memphis. It serves primarily residential and commercial customers. MLGW buys electricity from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and distributes it to more than 420,000 customers. The company purchases natural gas on the spot market, transmits it through open access pipelines, and delivers it to about 320,000 customers. Through its artesian water system, MLGW supplies water to more than 257,000 customers.

Southern California Edison (SCE) distributes electricity to a population of more than 13 million people in central, coastal, and Southern California (excluding Los Angeles and some other cities in the regions). The utility's system consists of about 12,000 circuit miles of transmission lines and more than 113,500 circuit miles of distribution lines. SCE also has 5,500 MW of net generating capacity from interests in nuclear, hydroelectric, and fossil-fueled power plants; it sold most of its fossil-fueled facilities in response to the state's deregulation legislation. The utility sells excess power to wholesale customers. SCE is a subsidiary of Edison International.

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