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.
Porthill is an unincorporated community in Boundary County, Idaho, United States, located near the Canadian border into British Columbia. Idaho State Highway 1 runs straight through the community and to the Porthill Port of Entry which then turns into British Columbia Highway 21. The Porthill Port Entry is used as the American Port only. Rykerts, British Columbia acts as the Canadian Crossing.