Let's cut right to the point: construction materials and mining used to be the lifeblood of Knife River Corporation, but in recent years, its energy and utility operations have grown to be the largest portion of its business. Oil and natural gas production, power transmission, pipelines and power utilities now dominate Knife River's balance sheet. But don't count out its construction services division, which continues to produce record earnings. Knife River has operations in Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, California, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Texas, and Wyoming. The company is a subsidiary of MDU Resources Group, Inc.

Huntsville, Alabama residents don't have to hunt far to find gas, power, and water. Government's utility City of Huntsville Electric, Natural Gas and Water Systems provides all of these resources. Known as Huntsville Utilities, the company distributes electricity to more than 156.000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in the city and surrounding areas; it also provides natural gas to 46,200 customers and water services to more than 82,000 customers. Huntsville Utilities buys electricity from the Tennessee Valley Authority. The utility's gas comes from Gulf of Mexico suppliers, and its water is pumped from underground aquifers and the Tennessee River.

Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc., an energy services company, distributes natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial, and power generation customers in portions of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. It also operates various energy-related businesses, including unregulated retail natural gas marketing, interstate natural gas storage, and intrastate natural gas transportation. As of October 31, 2009, the company served 952,469 retail customers and 61,000 customers served by municipalities. Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc. was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Native American inhabitants of Georgia may have used flint to spark the fires that brought light to their dwellings. Central Georgians today rely on the Flint Electric Membership Corporation, which does business as Flint Energies, to light their homes. Flint Energies serves 250,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers (through 82,500 meters) in 17 counties, Fort Benning, and the city of Warner Robins. The customer-owned cooperative operates more than 6,250 miles of distribution line and about 50 substations. Flint Energies first flicked the switch in 1937.

Toronto Hydro provides electric and related services for the metropolitan area and other parts of Ontario. The company's primary subsidiary, Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited (LDC), provides regulated power transmission and distribution services to 688,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Subsidiary Toronto Hydro Energy Services markets power and provides energy efficiency products and services throughout Ontario. It also provides street lighting services (160,000 street lights) in the City of Toronto.

Global Environmental Energy Corporation wants to improve China and other countries by turning their unwanted waste into energy. It also searches for oil and gas and has interests in clean coal technology. The company's alternative power generation technology uses waste from industrial, municipal, and agricultural facilities to produce electricity for its clients. Subsidiary Biosphere Development Corp has sold nine Biosphere Process Systems in China and one in Lebanon. Subsidiary Sahara Petroleum Exploration explores for oil in North Africa but has been inactive since 2007.

SolarCraft Services designs and installs solar energy systems that capitalize on California's sunshine. The company has installed more than 4,300 solar energy systems for residential and commercial customers in Northern California, including numerous vineyards and wineries. Its largest project was a 1.1 MW system at Paramount Farms, the world's largest grower and processor of pistachios and almonds. SolarCraft Services uses solar panels made by Mitsubishi, Sharp and SunPower, panels for swimming pools made by FAFCO, and components by SatCon. The company was founded in 1984.

ATCO operates worldwide in utilities, power generation, and related services. Majority-owned Canadian Utilities oversees most of the group's energy businesses, including ATCO Electric and ATCO Gas (transmission and distribution) and ATCO Power (generation). Other holdings include gas gatherer and processor ATCO Midstream, and gas transporter ATCO Pipelines. ATCO I-Tek provides IT, billing, and customer care services. ATCO Structures & Logistics manufactures modular buildings and provides logistical and noise abatement services. Utilities ATCO Electric (with nearly 207,000 customers) and ATCO Gas (with more than 1 million customers) account for the largest slice of ATCO's revenues.

LifeSource Water Systems uses is customer satisfaction. The water treatment product company manufactures and distributes water filtration equipment to residential, commercial, and industrial customers. LifeSource Water Systems' system uses an activated carbon filter rather than salts or chemicals. Its Beotron branded systems have earned the Gold Seal certification issued by the Water Quality Association. The company operates primarily in California; it also maintains outlets in Idaho and Nevada. LifeSource Water Systems was founded in 1984.

Keeping a sharp eye out for the well-being of Iowa's citizens, Central Iowa Power Cooperative provides electricity transmission and generation services to 13 member distribution cooperatives (12 rural electric cooperatives and one municipal cooperative), which in turn serve about 320,000 residential and 7,000 industrial and commercial customers. Central Iowa Power's member distribution cooperatives deliver power to commercial businesses, farmsteads, industrial parks, manufacturers, urban residences, and other customers, in a service area that stretches 300 miles diagonally across the state from Shenandoah in the southwest to the Mississippi River in the east.

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