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.
Winder is a city in Barrow County, Georgia, United States. The population was 10,201 at the 2000 census. Census Estimates of 2005 indicate a population of 12,451. The city is the county seat of Barrow County. Winder is located at 33°59′47″N 83°43′15″W / 33.99639°N 83.72083°W / 33.99639; -83.72083 (33.996495, -83.720873). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.2 square miles, of which, 10.8 square miles (28.1 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (0.9 km²) of it (3.21%) is water.