Public utilities provide electric, gas, water or telephone service to customers in a specified area. Utilities have a duty to provide safe and adequate service on reasonable terms to anyone who lives within the service area on without discriminating between customers. Because most utilities operate in near monopolistic conditions, they can be heavily regulated by local, state, and federal authorities. Generally, the local and state agencies are called Public Service Commissions (PSC) or Public Utility Commissions (PUC). Municipal Utilities and Rural Electric Cooperatives may be unregulated though.
Cullman is a city in Cullman County, Alabama, United States. It is located along Interstate 65, 50 miles (80 km) north of Birmingham, Alabama and 55 miles (89 km) south of Huntsville, Alabama. According to the 2008 census, the city has a population of 15,295. The city is the county seat of Cullman County.