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.
Colchester is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 14,551 at the 2000 census. In 2005, it was ranked 57th on the "100 Best Places to Live", conducted by CNN. Colchester is one of the fastest growing towns in Connecticut. The villages of Westchester and North Westchester are located within Colchester, as is the reservation of the Golden Hill Paugussett Indian Nation. The Colchester Historical Society operates a local history museum in town.