Caithness region might well serve as an inspiration for 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.

REC Solar helps you say "So long!" to fossil fuel dependence. The company designs and installs solar electric systems for residential and small commercial customers in six states -- Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, New Jersey, and Oregon. REC Solar has installed more than 3,200 power systems since being founded in 1997. Its systems range from simple rooftop panel displays for residential customers to industrial solar electric systems for Costco. REC Solar uses solar panels manufactured by Kyocera, Mitsubishi, Sanyo, and Sharp, and components by Satcon, SMA Solar Technology, and Xantrex. Investment group Mainstream Energy owns both REC Solar and AEE Solar.

PG&E Corporation is well on the way to fully recharging its batteries after losing power and declaring bankruptcy following California's energy crisis and the ensuing collapse of the wholesale energy trading industry. Its venerable Pacific Gas and Electric utility serves approximately 5.1 million electric customers and 4.3 million natural gas customers in California. The utility (founded in 1905) is also engaged in electricity generation; procurement and transmission; and natural gas procurement, transportation, and storage. In September 2010 a PG&E utility gas transmission line ruptured in San Bruno, causing a major fire, loss of life, and destruction of, or damage to, about 170 homes.

PNM Resources, Inc. company's primary utility unit, Public Service Company of New Mexico, distributes electricity to nearly 500,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in the state. PNM Resources operates power plants with more than 2,700 MW of generating capacity and markets energy to wholesale customers in the western US. Its Texas-New Mexico Power Company (TNMP) unit provides transmission and distribution services at regulated rates to about retail electricity providers that, in turn, provide retail electric service to 230,000 end users. Subsidiary First Choice Power is a retail electric provider operating in Texas and serving 234,000 customers.

Severn Trent Services is intent on providing cleaner water for consumers around the globe. The company, a subsidiary of UK-based Severn Trent, provides water and wastewater purification services and products to utilities, bottling companies, and other clients, primarily in the US and the UK. Operations include water filtration and disinfection technologies, contract operations and maintenance, pipeline rehabilitation, and state-of-the-art residential metering products and services. Severn Trent Services' international management services unit supports all aspects of water and wastewater utility management.

Public Works Commission of the City of Fayetteville, North Carolina (PWC), which is responsible for operating, maintaining, and upgrading the municipal electric, water, and wastewater utility systems. PWC distributes electricity and water to more than 78,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers. The electric utility has about 930 miles of underground power lines, 24,100 distribution line transformers and more than 47,160 poles. The water utility has 1,260 miles of mains; the wastewater unit, 1,180 miles of sewer line.

Midwest Energy for their power and gas needs. The utility serves approximately 48,000 electricity customers and 42,000 natural gas customers in central and western Kansas. It also has some power generation operations; it purchases most of its electric supply from wholesale marketers. The company's Midwest United Energy subsidiary is a competitive natural gas supplier in four states, and its WestLand Energy unit sells propane to Kansas consumers; it has sold its telecommunications business. Midwest Energy was formed in 1981 when the Central Kansas Electric Cooperative acquired investor-owned Central Kansas Power.

Portland General Electric (PGE) keeps many Birkenstock-shod feet warm: The company, formerly a subsidiary of Enron, generates, purchases, and distributes electricity to about 815,750 customers in Oregon. PGE's service territory covers 52 cities, including Portland and Salem. Its hydroelectric, coal-fired, and gas-fired plants had a generating capacity of more than 2,600 MW in 2009, and it purchased another 1,920 MW of generating capacity. PGE also markets wholesale electricity and natural gas to other utilities and marketers in the western US. In keeping with the "green" image of Portland residents, PGE leads the nation in residential customers who purchase power from renewable sources.

Bangor Hydro-Electric (BHE) has dropped its hydro, but the company still has plenty of electricity. As part of the restructuring of the electric utility industry in the state of Maine, BHE has shed its generating facilities, including its hydroelectric projects, to focus on distribution and transmission. The regulated utility serves 117,000 customers in six counties in southeastern Maine. The company is also a member of the New England Power Pool. Bangor Hydro-Electric is a subsidiary of Canada's Emera, the parent company of electric utility Nova Scotia Power.

Great River Energy powers up cooperatives along the Great River Road. The utility provides wholesale electricity to more than 1.7 million people (at more than 639,000 homes, businesses, and farms) through 28 distribution cooperatives in Minnesota and Wisconsin. It operates more than 4,500 miles of transmission lines and has more than 2,800 MW of capacity from fossil-fueled, hydroelectric, and renewable power generation facilities. The company also owns or partially owns more than 100 transmission substations. Great River Energy is the #2 electric utility in Minnesota, in terms of generating capacity, and one of the top five largest generation and transmission cooperatives in the US (based on assets).

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