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.
Steinhatchee is a Gulf coastal community in Taylor County, Florida located at 29°40′16″N 83°23′15″W / 29.67111°N 83.3875°W / 29.67111; -83.3875 (26.671111, -83.387500), 33 miles (53 km) south of the county seat of Perry. The Stein in Steinhatchee is pronounced as if it were spelled Steen, rather than Stine. Steinhatchee means 'Dead Man's River', or 'Dead Man's Bay'. Since the early 1800's, the small village of Steinhatchee played an integral part in the foresting industry, as well as fishing, crabbing, and scalloping.