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.
Christopher is a city in Franklin County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,836 at the 2000 census. It was the site of an early-morning railroad freight train derailment on Monday, December 4, 2006, involving two locomotives and 21 cars of an 83-car Union Pacific train; an unknown hazardous chemical spill ensued and mildly sickened several victims and rescue personnel, who were treated but not hospitalized. Christopher was the birthplace of the actor John Malkovich, former NBA player and coach Doug Collins, America's Next Top Model contestant Nichole Smith, Fear Factor contestant Christopher Dallas-Feeney and Match Game host Gene Rayburn.