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.
Harwood Heights is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,297 at the 2000 census. The current Mayor is Arlene Jezierny. She is the second woman to serve as mayor in Harwood Heights, the first being Mayor Margaret Fuller. Harwood Heights is located at 41°57′58″N 87°48′20″W / 41.96611°N 87.80556°W / 41.96611; -87.80556 (41.966172, -87.805576). According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all of it land. Harwood Heights is surrounded by Chicago and Norridge.