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.
Edwards (formerly, Muroc and Wherry Housing) is an unincorporated community in Kern County, California. It is located 16 miles (26 km) east-southeast of Mojave, at an elevation of 2356 feet (718 m). Edwards is most notable as being the site of Edwards Air Force Base. A post office was established at Edwards in 1951 (having been transferred from Muroc).