NorthWestern, once a holding company for several energy-related businesses, is now blowing in one direction only -- providing power and gas through regulated utilites. Through its NorthWestern Energy subsidiary, the company provides electricity and natural gas to about 661,000 customers in Montana, Nebraska, and South Dakota. In Montana it delivers electricity to approximately 335,000 customers in 187 communities and surrounding rural areas, 15 rural electric cooperatives, and in Wyoming to the Yellowstone National Park. NorthWestern delivers gas to 180,100 Montana customers. In Nebraska and South Dakota it sells natural gas to 85,5100 customers.

The main tenet of TenneT's business is to keep the Dutch national power transmission grid running smoothly across the nation's high-voltage power lines, constantly balancing supply with demand. The state-owned company also provides inspection and maintenance services for the infrastructure. TenneT manages more than 2,040 miles of high-voltage transmission lines and more than 50 electrical substations. Subsidiary APX manages non-contracted wholesale energy transactions. In 2010 TenneT spent $1.1 billion to buy grid operator transpower from E.ON. In 2010 a TenneT and National Grid joint venture began laying the first section of a high-voltage cable to connect the power grids in the Netherlands and the UK.

EVN spreads energy evenly across its territory in Lower Austria and beyond. The utility -- one of Austria's largest -- provides electricity, natural gas, heat, and related services. Outside its home borders, the company has gained control of electricity suppliers in Bulgaria and Macedonia, as these countries privatized their electricity industry. It is also marketing its environmental services (water, wastewater treatment, and waste incineration activities) around Europe. The company has built drinking water and wastewater treatment plants in Croatia, Poland, and Russia EVN has also put its waste-incineration know-how to good use and has a waste-to-energy plant in Moscow.

San Antonio Water System provides water and wastewater services to 344,200 customers, or about 1 million people, in the San Antonio metropolitan area (including most of the city of San Antonio, several suburban municipalities, and adjacent parts of Bexar County). The utility is owned by the City of San Antonio. SAWS was formed in 1992 through a merger of three entities: the City Water Board, the City Wastewater Department, and the Alamo Water Conservation and Reuse District.

Alabamans and Floridians come together in PowerSouth Energy Cooperative (formerly Alabama Electric Cooperative), which provides wholesale power services to its member-owners (20 cooperative and municipal distribution utilities and one industrial company). Its distribution members provide electric services to almost 419,000 meters in central and southern Alabama (39 counties) and western Florida (10 counties). PowerSouth Energy Cooperative operates a 2,200-mile power transmission system and has more than 1,600 MW of generating capacity from interests in fossil-fueled and hydroelectric power plants.

AGL Energy emerged from the Australian Gas Light Company (Australia's oldest energy company, founded in 1837). AGL Energy is the country's major electricity retailer. It is also a top gas retailer and distributor in Australia. AGL Energy retails gas to 1.4 million customers and electricity to 1.8 million customers. Its residential and small business customers are located in New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria, while its commercial and industrial customers are primarily in Queensland. AGL Energy is also a leading renewable energy company.

Egad, EGAT, that's a lot of juice. The state-owned Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) produces more than 15,000 MW of electricity and buys another 10,600 MW from independent power producers. EGAT not only generates or buys most of the nation's power, it holds a monopoly on transmission to the distributors (Metropolitan Electricity Authority and Provincial Electricity Authority). The utility operates hydroelectric, thermal, and alternative power plants, and provides engineering, maintenance, and other energy-related services. EGAT has also announced plans to expand into telecommunications and natural gas, and to acquire coal mining assets in Indonesia.

Dairyland Power Cooperative provides its customers with lots of juice in the land of lactose. The firm provides electricity generation (about 1,420 MW of generating capacity) and transmission services for 25 member distribution cooperatives and 16 municipal utilities in five states (including Wisconsin). The member cooperatives and municipal utilities in turn distribute electricity to almost 252,900 consumers. Dairyland Power generates more than 1,100 MW of capacity from its coal-fired power plants; it also operates 3,150 miles of transmission lines and 280 substations.

Ratchaburi Electricity Generating is a powerful force. The company, known as Ratch, is Thailand's largest independent electric utility. Subsidiary Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Company runs the power plant, which has a total capacity of about 4,500 MW of electricity. Ratchaburi Energy Company, the other major subsidiary, funds smaller power plants and other power generating operations. Ratch also owns stakes in ethanol and natural gas companies and it participates in a joint venture with SouthEast Asia Energy to run a hydro-electricity plant in Laos. Established in 2000, the company is 45% owned by the Thai government via the EGAT Public Company.

Caithness Corp., which develops wind and other renewable power plants in the US under the Caithness Energy brand. Although the firm has focused on the development, acquisition, operation, and management of geothermal, hydroelectric, wind, and solar energy power projects, it also develops environmentally friendly fossil-fueled plants. Caithness is one of the largest producers of renewable energy in the US, and has developed more than 350 MW of geothermal projects, 160 MW of solar plants, and 440 MW produced by wind turbines. On the cleaner fossil fuel plant side it has also developed more than 2,000 MW of gas-turbine powered capacity.

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