A Brief History Citizens Utilities is a diversified growth company providing telecommunications, natural gas, electric, water and wastewater treatment services to more than 1.8 million customers in 20 states, from Vermont to Hawaii. Citizens' geographic and service diversification helps to cushion it from economic downturns in any one industry or geographic area, from adverse regulatory conditions affecting any one industry or state, and from the impact of weather on customer usage in any one service or region. Citizens' service areas are located in small and medium-sized towns and cities. Because these markets are located in communities with an average population of 10,000, they are less vulnerable to competition.
Competitors prefer to direct their dollars and resources toward larger markets.
In addition, since Citizens' customer base is primarily residential, the company's operations are less vulnerable to competition from alternative telecommunications service providers, other distributors of electric energy and natural gas, and co-generation initiatives. Citizens Utilities Company was incorporated in Delaware in 1935 when it acquired all the assets of Public Utilities Consolidated Corporation, a company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with electric, gas, water and telephone operations primarily in the United States. During the 1950-70s, Citizens acquired numerous rural utilities in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. By the mid 1970s, Citizens' electric power business grew to 40 percent of total company revenues. At that time, its telephone operations contributed 31 percent of total revenues, water constituted 15 percent, and gas and wastewater treatment each contributed seven percent.