Alliant would like you to increase your reliance on energy. Alliant Energy's utilities, Interstate Power and Light (IP&L) and Wisconsin Power and Light (WPL), provide electricity to about 1 million customers and natural gas to more than 400,000 customers in four states; the utility operations also own power plants that generate some 5,600 MW of capacity. Nonregulated operations include rail and marine transportation services, independent power production (including wind farms), and real estate. Alliant Energy also provides engineering, consulting, and management services.

Energieversorgung Weser-Ems (EWE) is a German powerhouse. Operating through some 30 subsidiaries and associated companies, EWE is a multi-service energy company primarily involved in distributing natural gas and electricity. In the past few years, however, EWE has expanded its activities to include telecommunications and information technology. EWE is Germany's fifth-largest energy company, serving more than one million electricity customers and providing about 770,000 customers with natural gas. Subsidiary EWE NaturWatt sells electricity exclusively from renewable sources. In 2008, German electricity distributor EnBW agreed to buy 26% of EWE for just more than $3 billion.

Energy Future Holdings (formerly TXU) has seen the future and it works -- powered by electricity. The company is the largest nonregulated retail electric provider in Texas (TXU Energy), with 2.1 million customers, and through its Luminant unit it has a generating capacity of more than 15,510 MW from its interests in nuclear and fossil-fueled power plants in the state. Energy Future Holdings has regulated power transmission and distribution operations through 80%-owned Oncor Electric Delivery. Oncor operates the largest regulated distribution and transmission system in Texas, providing power to more than 3.1 million electric delivery points over more than 117,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines.

San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA), which is in charge of supplying about 90% of San Diego County's potable water supply (mainly from the Colorado River). Formed in 1944, the authority provides water to its 24 member agencies (primarily cities and municipal districts), which in turn distribute the water to residents and businesses in the county. SDCWA also has hydroelectric power generation operations.

Sometimes the sunshine state just isn't bright enough, and that's when Florida Power (doing business as Florida Power) really shines. The utility transmits and distributes electricity to 1.6 million customers and oversees more than 10,000 MW of generating capacity from interests in 14 nuclear and coal-, oil-, and gas-fired power plants. Additionally, Florida Power purchases about 20% of the energy it provides. The company is interconnected with 22 municipal power systems and with nine rural electric cooperative systems. Florida Power, a subsidiary of holding company Progress Energy, also sells wholesale power to other utilities and marketers.

ADWEA is a national organization wholly owned by the Abu Dhabi Government, maintaining a separate legal entity, as well as complete financial and administrative independence. ADWEA has been incorporated by virtue of law No. 2 issued in March 1998 to replace the former Water & Electricity Department.ADWEA is responsible for implementing government policy regarding water and electricity sector in the Emirate, including privatization of the water and electricity sector.Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority supplies electricity and potable water to a population of more than 1.5 million in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, over an area of 67340 sq. km.

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.

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.

Tacoma Power is the destiny of the citizens of the City of Destiny to get their power from Tacoma Power, which provides electric power services to more than 162,580 customers in Tacoma, Washington and surrounding areas. The utility, a division of Tacoma Public Utilities, one of the oldest and largest municipally owned utilities in the US, operates four hydroelectric power plants and approximately 2,275 miles of transmission and distribution lines. In addition, Tacoma Power offers energy efficiency products and services, manages fish hatcheries and recreational facilities, and operates the Click! Network, a high-speed telecommunications network (855 miles of cable).

Public utility Green Mountain Power (GMP) lights up the hills of Vermont, supplying electricity to 95,000 customers in the state. The utility also markets wholesale electricity in New England. The company operates more than 4,720 miles of transmission and distribution lines and owns a minority stake in high-voltage transmission operator Vermont Electric Power (VELCO). GMP owns about 150 MW of capacity from hydroelectric and fossil-fueled power plants, but it purchases most of its power from other utilities. The company's long-term contracts with Vermont Yankee and Hydro-Quebec provide about 75% of GMP's power supply.

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