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.
Nicolaus is an unincorporated town and area in Sutter County, California, USA, in the Yuba City Metropolitan Statistical Area. Nicolaus is located 38.903N, -121.576W at an elevation of 30 ft. It is named after Nicolaus Allgeier, local rancher. The town's former names included Nicolaus Ferry, and Nicolaus' Ranche.