Pinnacle West Capital is at the peak of the energy pyramid in Arizona. It is the holding company for the state's largest electric utility, Arizona Public Service (APS), which transmits and distributes electricity to 1.1 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers throughout most of the state. The utility also has more than 6,280 MW of generating capacity. Through APS and other subsidiaries, Pinnacle West markets wholesale and retail power in Arizona and the western US. The company also develops and manages real estate and invests in energy ventures.

Minnesota Power can keep both Vikings and Packers warm. The utility, an operating unit of ALLETE, provides electricity to about 144,000 customers in northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin, as well as wholesale electricity to 16 municipal systems. Large industrial customers include Boise White Paper (a subsidiary of Boise Cascade) and Hibbing Taconite (a joint venture owned by ArcelorMittal, Cliffs, and US Steel). Its largest purchasing contract is with the Square Butte Electric Co-op in North Dakota -- Minnesota Power gets half of Square Butte's output -- but the company is attempting to transition from Square Butte's traditionally coal-generated energy to wind power.

Exelon Corporation company distributes electricity to 5.4 million customers in northern Illinois (including Chicago) and southeastern Pennsylvania (including Philadelphia) through subsidiaries Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) and PECO Energy. PECO also distributes natural gas to 485,000 customers. Subsidiary Exelon Generation holds the company's power plants, whose production capacity is just about 25,000 MW. About two-thirds of Generation's power is nuclear. Exelon Power Team is a top wholesale energy marketer, and Exelon Energy markets retail power and offers other energy-related services.

Thames Water Holdings plc provides regulated water to 8.5 million customers and wastewater services to about 13.6 million people in London and the Thames Valley. It operates 100 water treatment plants, about 290 pumping stations, and 235 reservoirs. On the wastewater side of the business the company operates 43,500 miles of sewer lines and 350 wastewater treatment plants. In addition to its water and wastewater operations, Thames Water offers consulting, infrastructure, project management, engineering, and maintenance services. The company is controlled by Kemble Water Limited.

Salamander Energy spends its day exploring and producing oil and gas. The company produces about 8,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day; Salamander Energy's proved and probable reserves total about 56 million barrels of oil equivalent. Established in 2005, the company focuses its exploration efforts in regions in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. Salamander Energy operates from six offices in the UK and Asia. Salamander Energy plans to expand both organically and through acquisitions.

Tractebel Engineering (formerly SUEZ-TRACTEBEL) is Belgium's top utility holding company and one of the world's top independent power producers, with operations in more than 100 countries on five continents (through Suez Energy International). As part of the family of companies that make up French energy conglomerate GDF SUEZ, Tractebel Engineering distributes electricity and natural gas; transports and stores gas; is involved in energy trading and marketing; and offers energy and industrial management, infrastructure, and engineering services. GDF SUEZ subsidiary and #1 power producer in Belgium, Electrabel, took ownership of the company in 2007.

Viridian Group, through its main subsidiary, regulated regional electric company Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE), transmits and distributes power to about 793,000 homes and businesses in Northern Ireland. Its NIE Energy Supply unit is the regulated electricity supplier in Northern Ireland. Viridian is also involved in unregulated businesses, including retail power and natural gas marketing (Energia) and high-voltage electrical infrastructure contracting (Powerteam). It also participates in Ireland's electricity market through its Energia subsidiary, which deals in both retail and wholesale energy. In 2010 Irish power utility ESB Group acquired NIE from Viridian for $1 billion.

Public Utility District No. 1 of Cowlitz County, Washington (or Cowlitz County Public Utility District), a Depression era institution that provides electric utility services to 47,400 customers (including 42,400 residential customers and 5,200 commercial clients) in its service territory. The municipal utility also serves more than 3,800 Longview-Kelso area water utility customers. Like 27 other PUDs in Washington state, Cowlitz County Public Utility District has the authority to offer electric, water, wastewater, and wholesale telecommunication service.

Electricity Supply Board (ESB) is a leading electricity utility in Ireland, providing electricity generation, distribution, and supply. The state-owned company has several divisions that operate independently in the electricity market. Its ESB Power Generation unit operates 13 power stations in Ireland. Its generation plants have an installed capacity of more than 4,650 MW and serve a customer base of about 2 million. The group's ESB Networks owns the high-voltage transmission network and other distribution systems. ESB International develops power projects, including renewable energy plants worldwide; the company has installed 77 MW of wind farms in Ireland, and in 2010 acquired a 35 MW wind farm in Wales.

ACEA S.p.A. municipal utility in Italy, it is also Italy's #1 water utility and a top electricity distributor. ACEA provides water to more than 7 million people and distributes power to more than 2.7 million homes and businesses in Rome and surrounding areas. In keeping with Europe-wide utility liberalization, the City of Rome has sold 49% of ACEA on the public market. The former monopoly has also built on Enel's Roman distribution assets, and through a joint venture with Electrabel, it has expanded into power generation, energy marketing, and natural gas distribution. ACEA also has international utility interests.

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