Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A. – Eletrobras primarily engages in the generation, distribution, transmission, and commercialization of electric power; and construction and operation of nuclear power plants in Brazil. The company also assists Brazil's Ministry of Mining and Energy in designing the country's policy for the energy sector; provides guarantees and acquires debentures of companies and holders of public electric power services; grants loans and guarantees for technical and scientific research institutions; promotes and supports research in the power sector in connection with the generation, transmission, and distribution of electric power, as well as studies involving the exploitation of watershed for various purposes; contributes to the education of technical staff and qualified workers required by the Brazilian electric power sector through specialized training programs or assists national educational institutions or provides scholarships or signs agreements with foreign institutions that promote the development of specialized technical personnel; and co- operates technically and administratively with companies in which it holds interests, and with the agency of the Ministry of Mining and Energy. In addition, it manages incentive program for alternative sources of electric power, a program of the federal government that aims to enhance the diversification of the Brazilian energy model and search for regional solutions based on renewable electric power sources produced by independent agents. The company is headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Southern Maryland gets it power via the South Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO), which distributes electricity to more than 147,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in four counties. One of the ten largest electric cooperatives in the US, the member-owned enterprise gets its wholesale power supply through its membership in ACES Power Marketing. SMECO's service area includes all of Calvert and St. Mary's counties, and parts of of Calvert and Prince George's counties. Cities covered include Hughesville, Leonardtown, Prince Frederick, and White Plains.

East Bay Municipal Utility District provides potable water to 1.3 million people in a 331-square-mile area (which includes the cities of Alameda, Berkeley, and Oakland). Its wastewater system serves 650,000 people in an 88-square-mile area of Alameda and Contra Costa counties along San Francisco Bay's east shore. EBMUD operates 4,110 miles of water mains, and 160 storage reservoirs. The company also provides recreational services at five of its reservoirs.

Global Energy is generating power outside of the box. The alternative energy company creates clean energy solutions using gasification technologies. Gasification and IGCC (Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle) facilities convert carbon fuel sources (including coal, petroleum coke (petcoke), and renewables) into environmentally cleaner energy sources like synthetic gas (SG) and synthetic natural gas (SNG). Through subsidiary Wabash River Energy, Global Energy owns and operates the Wabash River Plant (Indiana), one of only two IGCC facilities in the US. It also owns the Westfield Plant (Fife, Scotland) and is constructing a 540-MW IGCC facility in Lima, Ohio, expected to be operational by 2010.

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.

Northumbrian Water Group (NWG) provides water utility services in both northern and southern England. The company's primary subsidiary, Northumbrian Water Limited, provides water and wastewater services to 2.6 million people in North East England under the Northumbrian Water brand; it provides water to 1.8 million people in South East England, where it operates as Essex and Suffolk Water. NWG also controls a number of special purpose companies with contracts in Scotland, Ireland, and Gibraltar. The company's SA Agrer NV unit conducts project work in developing countries, The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan controls 26% of the company.

Compressco Partners puts the pressure on before the natural gas and oil wells run dry. The company specializes in providing services to more than 400 natural gas and oil companies across 14 states to increase production and total recoverable reserves. The company offers compression, liquids separation, and gas metering services, as well as the GasJack units that perform these operations. It applies its services primarily to mature wells, but also on newer wells, which have declined in production. Compressco Partners, a subsidiary of TETRA Technologies, also provides well evaluations and well testing and monitoring services in Mexico.

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.

Making money by water, Biwater provides water and wastewater treatment services to a range of customers in more than 90 countries. The company also offers water infrastructure investment, consultancy and operation; water asset management; and project management for water leisure facilities. Its Biwater Leisure unit has installed several Olympic-sized pools for almost 40 years. Its international projects include the design and installation of a wastewater treatment plant in Dubai, and a water distribution system for 4.2 million customers in Malaysia. Biwater also designs and builds desalination plants. Focusing on international growth, in 2010 it sold its UK-based Biwater Services Limited unit to MWH Global.

Avista Corporation, an energy company, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of energy and energy-related businesses in the United States and Canada. The company operates through two segments, Avista Utilities and Advantage IQ. The Avista Utilities segment engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electric energy primarily from hydroelectric and thermal sources. This segment also distributes natural gas to retail customers in parts of eastern Washington, northern Idaho, and parts of northeast and southwest Oregon, as well as engages in wholesale purchase and sale of electricity and natural gas. As of December 31, 2009, it provided retail electric service to approximately 356,000 customers; and retail natural gas service to approximately 316,000 customers. This segment offers electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers. The Advantage IQ segment provides utility expense management solutions to assess and manage utility costs and usage to multi-site companies in North America. It offers invoice processing, auditing and payment services, energy procurement, reporting, and advanced analysis, as well as provides analytical support, reporting, and consulting services. In addition, Avista’s other investments and operations include sheet metal fabrication of electronic enclosures, parts, and systems for the computer, telecom, renewable energy, and medical industries; real estate investments, primarily commercial office buildings; and investments in venture capital funds and low income housing. The company was founded in 1889 and is headquartered in Spokane, Washington.

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