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.
Mountain Pine is a city in Garland County, Arkansas, United States. It is part of the 'Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 772 at the 2000 census Mountain Pine's population is believed to have grown back to about 900 in 2008. It is located near Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine. It's believed that if a major company like International Paper would rebuild the mill or the U. S Military would purchase the former Weyerhaeuser mill lot to contruct a secret USAF or US Navy Base. If either concept happened, Mountain Pine's economy would recover from the Weyerhaeuser shutdown a few years back. The plant supplied jobs to many in the city and the surrounding areas. A U.S. Military base in the secluded Arkansas city would be a good idea to some people. The city consists of five defined neighborhoods, Pinewood(Northside), South Mtn. Pine, A Business District(City Hall, Bank, Post Office, etc. ), Cozy Acres (Southwest) and Mtn. View/Timberland.