Organic Resource Management (formerly National Challenge Systems) has an organic approach to the disposal of waste material across Canada. Providing non-hazardous and organic waste disposal services, Organic Resource Management's services include cleaning catch basins, drains, grease-traps, and sewers; food-waste recycling; and raw material and product destruction. Organic Resource Management serves more than 8,000 commercial, industrial, institutional, and residential customers in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec. In 2008 it sold the non-core assets of non-hazardous liquid waste subsidiary A&A Anderson Tank Services to McRae's Environmental Services.

United Water International, founded in 1995, is one of the largest water utility companies operating in towns and cities in both Australia and New Zealand (including major centers such as Adelaide, Ballarat, and Auckland). United Water International operates and maintains water and wastewater treatment plants as well as customer call centers. All told, the company serves somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.5 million customers. United Water International is owned by Halliburton unit KBR, and Veolia Environnement.

Avista Utilities' vista is the Pacific Northwest and the Intermountain West. The utility, a subsidiary of integrated production, transmission, and distribution powerhouse Avista Corporation, provides regulated electricity and natural gas services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Avista Utilities provides power and gas services to about 673,000 customers (357,000 electric, and 316,000 gas). It serves power customers with a mix of hydro, natural gas, coal, and biomass generation (with a total capacity of 1,776 MW in 2009), and serves gas customers through purchased wholesale gas supply. The company sells excess electricity to wholesale customers.

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.

American Labelmark wants to take some of the danger out of hazardous materials. The firm's Labelmaster division sells books, training manuals, and protective equipment (such as steel salvage drums and spill kits) to companies that transport hazardous materials, helping them navigate the maze of government rules. It also makes labels and signage for hazardous materials and infectious waste transportation, along with labels concerning workplace safety and ergonomics. Its Reg-Trieve software division sells compliance materials on compact disks. American Labelmark also offers regulatory information online.

China Three Gorges Project Corporation (CTGPC) is building the world's largest hydropower project -- the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River. Located near the Xilingxia gorge, a 185-meter-high project dam controls a drainage area of 1 million square km and an average annual runoff of 451 billion cubic meters. Construction on the massive project broke ground in 1994 and is expected to formally wrap up in late 2008. Subsidiary China Yangtze Power was set up in 2002 to manage two power plants, Gezhouba and Three Gorges. In 2009, in a major cash infusion, this unit paid its parent for the remaining 18 generators at the Three Gorges project.

Duke Energy Indiana (formerly PSI Energy) brings a spark to the Hoosier state. One of Indiana's largest utilities, Duke Energy subsidiary Duke Energy Indiana transmits and distributes electricity to 69 of the state's 92 counties (approximately 780,000 customers). The utility also owns power plants (more than 6,730 MW of primarily fossil-fueled capacity), which are operated by its parent's merchant energy division. Duke Energy Indiana's service area covers about 22,000 sq. miles with an estimated population of 2.4 million. The company operates about 31,000 miles of distribution lines and a 5,400-mile transmission system. In 2010 Duke Energy Indiana appointed company veteran Doug Esamann as president.

FERSA Energias Renovables has found being green isn't too difficult. The Spanish holding company invests in and operates companies that produce electricity utilizing such renewable energy resources as wind power, solar energy, and biomass. The company's holdings span the European continent with investments in wind farms in Spain, Estonia, and Italy as well as holdings in Panama, India, and China. Holdings include Eolica el Pedregoso, Elolica de Pino, Parque Eolico Hinojal, Enrilews, and OU Est Wind Power. The company also has holdings in solar power and biomass operations in Spain through Invetem Mediterranea and Gestora Fotovoltaica de Castellon.

Alpiq (formerly Aare-Tessin Ltd. for Electricity, or Atel) is the largest supplier of electricity in Switzerland. It generates electricity by means of hydro, nuclear, and coal power, then trades and distributes it through its transmission grid across Switzerland and 28 other European countries. Its main markets include Italy, Germany, France, and countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Alpiq has 5,270 MW of generating capacity. The company also provides energy services including engineering, construction, and maintenance. Atel merged with fellow Swiss energy company EOS Holding in 2009 and became Alpiq. EOS owns 31% of the company; French energy giant EDF, 25%.

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) keeps the movie cameras running and the swimming pools full. The largest municipally owned utility in the US, LADWP provides electricity to more than 1.4 million residential and business customers and water to 640,000 customers. The company has power plant interests that give it more than 7,220 MW of generating capacity; it also buys and sells wholesale power. Most of the city's water supply is transported through two aqueduct systems from the Sierra Nevada Mountains; other water sources include wells and local groundwater basins. Because LADWP is city-owned, its retail monopoly status was unaffected by utility deregulation in California.

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