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.
San Manuel is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pinal County, Arizona, United States. The population was 4,375 at the 2000 census. San Manuel was built in 1953 as a company town to serve the then-new San Manuel copper mine, mill and smelter complex. The mine and smelter were permanently closed in 2003. Nearby towns are Oracle, Arizona and Mammoth, Arizona. Both are within ten miles (16 km) of San Manuel and make up the tri-community area.