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.
Phillipsville (formerly, Kettintelbe, Philippsville, and Phillips Flat) is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, California. It is located on the South Fork of the Eel River 7.5 miles (12.1 km) north of Garberville, at an elevation of 289 feet (88 m). It is the southernmost town on the Avenue of the Giants. Near the town is the Chimney Tree. This is a redwood tree that resembles a chimney. The ZIP Code is 95559. The community is inside area code 707.