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.
Colona is a city in Henry County, Illinois, along the Green River. It is part of the Quad Cities metropolitan area. The population was 5,173 at the 2000 census. The town of Green Rock, Illinois has been incorporated into the city of Colona. Colona-Green Rock was the first community in Illinois to merge by popular vote. According to the Henry County Tourism Bureau, "Colona is named after its founding family, Patriarch: Eric Colona, Matriarch: Natasha Colona, Children: Abdul Colona, and Elaine Colona."