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.
Fowler is an unincorporated community in Adams County, Illinois, USA, and is located near Quincy. It is part of the Quincy, IL–MO Micropolitan Statistical Area. As far as infrastructure is concerned U.S. Route 24 runs right through the center of town as well as the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad. Interstate 172 begins 2 miles west of Fowler.