Aqua-Pure Ventures has developed a patented wastewater distillation process used in wastewater recycling. Primarily used for industrial applications, Aqua-Pure's Clear Solutions system provides evaporation technology that can easily mix with other wastewater-treatment methods. Among its many uses, Clear Solutions may be applied for treating medical wastewater and for seawater desalination. In North America Aqua-Pure distributes the Salsnes Filter, used by municipalities and industrial companies for treating wastewater. This technology, developed by the Salsnes company in Norway, can be installed in new plants or mixed with technology already in use.

ALLETE provides light to the northern climes. Most of its business is classified within its regulated operations, which include electric, gas, and water utilities located in northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. Those operations are conducted through subsidiaries Minnesota Power (about 145,000 customers) and Superior Water, Light and Power (about 35,000 customers for its electric, gas, and water utilities). ALLETE's other segment includes coal mining operations, emerging technologies related to electric utilities, and a real estate business (large land tracts in Florida). Subsidiary BNI Coal operates a mine in North Dakota that supplies, primarily, two generating co-ops, Minnkota Power and Square Butte.

Carbtrol doesn't care about your carbohydrate consumption; instead, the company works to protect the health of the environment. Carbtrol makes activated carbon filters for air and water treatment, along equipment used for groundwater remediation and soil vapor extraction. In addition, the company supplies treatment systems designed to allow golf courses and car washes to recycle water. Carbtrol was founded in 1983. The company's primary product in the early years was activated carbon systems. It expanded its product line to include engineered packages using air stripping, vapor extraction technologies, and ion exchange treatment.

PowerVerde (formerly known as Vyrex) has abandoned its quest for a molecular fountain of youth. These days, it's only interested in power. The development-stage biotech company had been researching antioxidants to develop cures for respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases, and other conditions related to aging. Unable to continue funding its activities, however, Vyrex executed a reverse merger with PowerVerde, which has designed a power system that generates electricity with zero emissions. The system, created by the company's founders George Konrad and Fred Barker, uses solar-heated water to power an environmentally friendly motor.

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.

Having access to power is the natural state in the Natural State, thanks to Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation (AECC), the sole wholesale power provider for 17 Arkansas electric distribution cooperatives. The company operates power plants with about 2,640 MW of generating capacity, owns transmission assets, and purchases wholesale power to meet its members' demands. Affiliate Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (AECI) provides administrative and maintenance services to the distribution companies. The distribution utilities, which serve 490,000 customers throughout more than 60% of Arkansas' area, along with AECC and AECI, operate as the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas.

Unitil Corporation company serves about 100,500 electric customers and 70,000 natural gas customers. Unitil Energy Systems provides regulated electric utility services to 72,600 customers in New Hampshire, and subsidiary Fitchburg Gas and Electric has some 27,900 power and 15,120 natural gas customers in Massachusetts. Unitil's utility units provide retail supply services to customers who don't choose to purchase energy from a third-party marketer. Indirect subsidiary, Usource LLC, provides energy brokerage service to large energy users throughout the Northeast seeking competitive power or natural gas supplies.

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.

Scottish Water provides water and wastewater services to 5 million customers in 2.4 million homes. The company, which is the one of five largest water utilities in the UK, operates about 29,340 miles of water mains, 31,150 miles of sewers, 300 water treatment works, and more than 1,900 wastewater treatment works. The government-owned company, which is overseen by the Scottish Parliament, is focusing on upgrading its provision of clean drinking water, making its services more efficient and helping to improve the environment by protecting the watersheds that supply the company's water.

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.

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