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.
Applegate is an unincorporated town in Placer County, California, USA with a population of 1,512. Its ZIP code is 95703 and its area code 530. It is ten miles northeast of Auburn, at an elevation of 2,014 feet above sea level. Applegate was originally settled in 1849 by Lisbon Applegate. The small community became known as Lisbon, in honor of its founder. As the town grew it was called Bear River House. When a post office was established 1855, the community officially became known as Lisbon. George W. Applegate became postmaster and in the 1870s, the settlement was renamed to Applegate to honor its founder. At one time, Applegate was a station on the Central Pacific Railroad, and since the tracks are separated by about 1/4 mile, the station on the eastbound track was known as East Applegate.