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.
Ravendale is an unincorporated community in Lassen County, California. It is located 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Termo, at an elevation of 5305 feet (1617 m). Almost exactly halfway between these two cities, Rand McNally shows 54 driving miles to Susanville and about the same distance to Alturas. The Ravendale post office opened in 1910, closed in 1920, and re-opened in 1921. Wired telephones in this area have telephone numbers following the pattern, 234-xxxx. There is some cellular telephone coverage from unknown providers. The availability of PCS and Nextel coverage is undetermined. The ZIP Code is 96123. There is a Ravendale Airport with the FAA identifier O39. Susanville District, Ravendale Resource Area, Bureau of Land Management operates a fire station here. The fire station transmitter call sign is KMC407. There is also a Ravendale Volunteer Fire Department according to the California Department of Forestry, Lassen-Modoc Ranger Unit 2005 annual report.