Manila Electric Company (Meralco) is the largest utility in the Philippines, providing power to 4.6 million customers in 29 cities (including metropolitan Manila) and 82 municipalities. As deregulation takes effect, Meralco is reducing its dependence on state-owned National Power Corp. (Napocor) by increasing the amount of power it purchases from independent power producers. Meralco has prepared for greater competition by moving into nonregulated activities, including energy, e-commerce, and real estate. In 2008 Philippine conglomerate San Miguel Corp. acquired the Philippine government's 27% stake in Meralco, and raised that to 48% in 2009. Metro Pacific Investments boosted its stake to 20% soon after that.

"Hey Culligan Man!" To be sure, the phrase made famous by an ad campaign still rings in the ears of Culligan International workers. Formerly a subsidiary of Veolia Environnement, Culligan produces filters for tap water, household water softeners, microfiltration products, desalination systems, and portable deionization services for commercial and industrial users. The franchised "Culligan Man" noted in the advertising phrase delivers bottled water and water systems to consumers and businesses through more than 800 Culligan company-owned and franchised dealers in more than 90 countries. Buyout firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice owns the company.

The Laclede Group, Inc. operates as a public utility holding company. The company’s principal subsidiary, Laclede Gas Company, provides natural gas service to approximately 630,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in metropolitan St. Louis and surrounding counties in eastern Missouri. Its primary non-regulated subsidiary, Laclede Energy Resources, Inc., markets natural gas and related services to on-system utility transportation customers and customers outside of its utility’s traditional service area. The Laclede Group company was founded in 1857 and is based in St. Louis, Missouri.

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.

The Dakota Electric Association delivers electricity to residents of southeastern Minnesota, the Gopher State , so they don't have to burrow underground for those long, cold winters. The member-owned utility serves more than 100,000 customers in portions of Dakota, Goodhue, Rice, and Scott counties south of Minneapolis-St. Paul. The co-op gets its power wholesale from transmission cooperative Great River Energy and distributes it over 3,720 miles of power lines, nearly two-thirds of which are buried. Dakota Electric is pushing energy efficiency programs and products to help save its customers money.

The Chugoku Electric Power Co. makes western Japan shine. The company generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to more than 5.2 million customers in the Chugoku region of western Japan. Approximately 89% of its customers are residential, and commercial and industrial customers account for the rest. The company's 110 power plants generate about 11,800 MW; traditional thermal plants generate about 65% of its power. Chugoku Electric intends to increase its use of nuclear power and is also researching alternative energy sources. In response to Japan's electricity market liberalization, the group is entering new business markets, including consulting, construction, fuel supply, and telecommunications.

Northwest Natural Gas Company stores and distributes natural gas in Oregon, Washington, and California. The company operates in two segments, Local Gas Distribution and Gas Storage. The Local Gas Distribution segment distributes natural gas in Oregon and southwest Washington. This segment engages in building and maintaining pipeline distribution system, purchasing gas from producers and marketers, contracting for the transportation of gas over pipelines from the supply basins to service territory, and reselling the gas to customers. It also transports gas owned by customers from the interstate pipeline connection, or city gate, to the customers’ facilities. This segment serves various industries, including pulp, paper, and other forest products; companies manufacturing electronic, electrochemical, and electrometallurgical products; companies engaged in processing of farm and food products; metal fabrication and casting companies; organizations that produce various mineral products, machine tools, machinery, and textiles; companies that manufacture asphalt, concrete, and rubber; printing and publishing companies; nurseries; government and educational institutions; and electric generation companies. As of December 31, 2009, it served approximately 668,000 total utility customers comprising approximately 605,000 residential, 62,000 commercial, and 1,000 industrial sales and transportation customers. The Gas Storage segment offers underground natural gas storage services to interstate and intrastate customers in the Pacific Northwest. It holds interests in approximately 8,500 net acres of underground natural gas storage in Oregon and approximately 1,900 net acres of underground natural gas storage in California; and interests in approximately 1,600 net acres of oil and gas leases in Oregon. This segment serves primarily natural gas distribution, electric generation, and energy marketing companies. Northwest Natural Gas Company was founded in 1910 and is headquartered in Portland, Oregon.

National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), thankfully generates enough electricity to run a lot of air conditioners. State-run NTPC, which generates almost 29% of India's power supply, has 22 coal and gas-fired power plants and interests in four more through its SAIL Power Supply joint venture. The company's plants (including joint ventures) have a combined capacity of more than 30,240 MW and feed distribution grids throughout India; prices are determined by India's Electricity Act. NTPC also offers global power consulting and engineering and construction services. India's government owns nearly 90% of NTPC.

Southern Company isn't just whistling Dixie. The holding company is one of the largest electricity distributors in the US. It operates regulated utilities Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Gulf Power, and Mississippi Power, which combined have a generating capacity of more than 42,900 MW and serve more than 4.4 million electricity customers in the southeastern US. The good ol' power company also has energy marketing operations, and it provides energy consulting and management services for businesses and institutions. Through its Southern LINC Wireless unit, it provides wireless communications services in its US utility territory; its Southern Telecom unit offers wholesale fiber-optic services.

TransAlta has transformed itself from one of Canada's largest electric utilities into a global independent power producer with assets in Australia, Canada, and the US. The company has about about 8,990 MW of operational generating capacity. It trades and markets electricity and gas in Canada and the US. Most of TransAlta's generating capacity is coal-fired; the rest comes from gas-fired, hydroelectric, and alternative-energy plants. TransAlta has sold its regulated distribution and transmission businesses to focus on power generation and marketing, primarily to industrial and wholesale customers. The company has more than 80 power plants in Australia, Canada, and the US.

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