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.
Jasper is a city in Hamilton County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,780 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 1,848 . It is the county seat of Hamilton County. The United Methodist Church in Jasper, Florida is on the National Register of Historic Places. One of the largest industries is phosphate mining.