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.
Murphy is an unincorporated community in Owyhee County, Idaho, United States. The county seat of Owyhee County, it is one of the smallest county seats nationwide. Murphy formed around a railhead of the Boise, Nampa and Owyhee Railroad built in 1899. The town succeeded Silver City as county seat in 1934. The railroad operated until 1947. The community is named after Cornelius "Con" Murphy, a Boise, Nampa and Owyhee Railroad crew boss. Murphy is located 25 miles south of Nampa. Murphy is part of the Boise City–Nampa, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.