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.
Winter Park is a Home Rule Municipality in Grand County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 662 at the 2000 census, although tourists and seasonal workers significantly increase the population. It is home to the Winter Park Resort, a well-known ski resort which is owned by the City and County of Denver and managed by Intrawest. The town and resort was served by the Ski Train of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW). Although the town center is at about 9,000 feet, Winter Park is the highest incorporated town in the United States after the July 2006 annexation of 5,214 acres (21.10 km) of Winter Park Ski Resort to allow new on-mountain improvements. This claim is disputed since there are no residences or businesses at or above the elevation of Alma, CO (10,361 feet). The area also has abundant cross-country skiing opportunities, including Devil's Thumb Ranch. In the spring and summer, Winter Park is known for mountain biking, concerts, hiking and fishing.