First Electric Cooperative wasn't the first electric cooperative ever formed, but it was the first such entity created in its home state. The member-owned utility distributes power to more than 85,000 customers in 17 central and southeastern Arkansas counties. It also offers its members a range of energy products and value-added services, including energy efficient Marathon water heaters, surge and lightning protection equipment, and compact fluorescent light bulbs. Some 72% of the cooperative's revenues come from residential customers; commercial and industrial customers account for another 20%, and the rest comes from such sources as irrigation and street lighting.

Allegheny Energy, Inc. owns and operates electric generation facilities, and delivers electric services to customers in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia. The company owns or contractually controls coal-, gas-, and oil-fired generation facilities, as well as hydro generation facilities. It operates in two segments, The Merchant Generation and The Regulated Operations. The Merchant Generation segment owns, operates, and manages electric generation facilities, as well as purchases and sells energy and energy-related commodities. This segment markets its electric generation capacity to various customers and markets, including certain of its affiliates, as well as uses both derivative and nonderivative contracts to manage its portfolio of contracts. As of December 31, 2009, it owned or contractually controlled 7,015 megawatts of generation capacity. The Regulated Operations segment operates electric public utility systems that include electricity generation, transmission, and distribution facilities. As of December 31, 2009, it owned or contractually controlled 2,741 megawatts of generation capacity. This segment served approximately 383,600 customers in northern West Virginia; approximately 483,400 customers in portions of West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia; approximately 102,000 customers in northern Virginia; and approximately 714,900 customers in southwestern, south-central, and northern Pennsylvania. The company is headquartered in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

Southern Pine Electric Power Association (Southern Pine EPA) delivers the consumer-owned utility cooperative that serves about 65,000 members in south central Mississippi. The cooperative provides power over more than 10,000 miles of line to some 60,400 residential meters and 4,600 commercial meters. A board of directors, elected by Southern Pine EPA membership, sets the policies and establishes the business structure of the organization, which is led on a day-to-day operational basis by a general manager. Southern Pine EPA established four district offices in 1994 to enable the cooperative to better serve its large service area.

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.

Taiwan Power (Taipower) is looking to get by with a little help from its friends. With a generating capacity of more than 38,080 MW, the state-owned utility serves nearly 12 million industrial, commercial, and residential customers. Thermal sources (coal, oil, and liquefied natural gas) fuel most of Taipower's plants; nuclear energy and hydroelectric sources make up the balance. Unable to meet Taiwan's power needs on its own, the utility has opened its market to independent power producers, allowing companies to build power plants and sell to Taipower. Taipower has resumed construction on the nation's fourth nuclear plant. The Taiwan government has announced plans to privatize Taipower (it owned 97% in 2009).

Volunteer Energy Cooperative is voluntarily cooperating with its members to serve their energy needs. The distribution utility serves more than 108,000 customers (who also own the cooperative) in 17 central and eastern Tennessee counties. It operates more than 8,400 miles of power lines. Volunteer Energy purchases its power supply from the Tennessee Valley Authority. The company also sells propane and provides telecommunications (Internet access and long-distance phone) services. In addition, Volunteer Energy offers its customer surge protection and security equipment.

Natural gas supply is as natural as country and western to some Arkansans, thanks to Arkansas Western Gas. A subsidiary of Colorado-based natural gas distribution firm SourceGas, the company distributes natural gas to approximately 152,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in more than 90 cities and towns in northern Arkansas. Arkansas Western Gas, which operates through six regional offices across its services area also provides gas transportation services to industrial, end-use, and off-system customers, and it operates a gas storage facility.

Anglian Water provides regulated water, wastewater, and environmental services to some 6 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers, primarily in eastern England. The main operating subsidiary of AWG, it provides water services to 4.2 million customers across East Anglia and the East Midlands, supplying 1.2 billion liters of water daily. Anglian Water maintains a network of more than 37,000 km of water mains and treats wastewater (from 5.5 million customers) at its more than 1,100 sewage treatment works. The company also manages water and wastewater systems for the City of Hartlepool in northern England.

United Utilities Group PLC, through its subsidiaries, engages in the ownership, operation, and maintenance of water and wastewater networks in the United Kingdom and internationally. It supplies water covering a population of approximately 7 million people, and 2.9 million households and business premises; and involves in the collection and treatment of wastewater through a network of 43,419 kilometers of sewers. The company also operates electricity distribution network, and high voltage networks for businesses; and gas distribution network, as well as pipes and the equipment used to pump, condition, and store gas. In addition, United Utilities Group PLC provides consulting services and project management services; property management services; multi-utility metering operations and metering installation services; technical and management services; and asset management services. The company was formerly known as United Utilities Newco Limited and changed its name to United Utilities Group PLC in April 2008. United Utilities Group PLC was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Warrington, the United Kingdom.

Better PLC, or Better Place as it goes by, wants people to imagine a world free of oil. The startup, which was founded in 2007 on $200 million of venture capital, is teaming with automakers, battery manufacturers, energy companies, and governments to help make electric cars more viable worldwide. As an alternative to traditional gas stations, the company is attempting to build and operate an electric recharge grid to power electric car battery recharging stations, which drivers pay to access (much as phone users pay to access a mobile network). Better Place has begun work with partners in Australia, China, Denmark, Israel, Japan,and the US on this sustainable model. The company was founded by CEO Shai Agassi.

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