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.
The Town of Los Gatos is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 28,592 at the 2000 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area at the southwest corner of San Jose in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Homes are mostly upscale, varying from century-old one million-dollar cottages in the downtown area to 10 - 20 million-dollar large custom homes in the surrounding hills. The town is noted for its small, pedestrian-friendly downtown, with many boutique shops and upscale restaurants. It is also a preferred destination for antique shopping.