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.
Pope Valley is an unincorporated community located in the small valley of the same name in northern Napa County, California. It is east of Calistoga, north of Angwin, and borders Lake Berryessa, the second largest man-made lake in California. The zip code for Pope Valley is 94567, and the area code 707. It was home to many farming and ranching families, including the Hardin family. Pope Valley is the home of Aetna Springs Resort, a Registered Historic Place. Pope Valley was named after William (Julian) Pope who was granted property in Rancho Locoallomi in 1841 by acting Governor Manuel Jimeno.