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.
Huntley is a rapidly-growing village in McHenry County, Illinois and Kane County, Illinois. In 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the village's population to be 20,047. In the 2000 Census, the village had a mere 5,730 people, meaning the village's population has grown 350% in six years. Huntley has adopted a very aggressive development strategy that would fit more into place in the Sunbelt rather than in an outer suburb of Chicago. Currently, the village has 11.8 square miles (31 km). A consultant for the village has predicted that by 2020, Huntley will be home to 50,191 people and will max out at 62,560. In 2003 alone, the village gave out 1210 building permits. Huntley is best known for Prime Outlets outlet mall and a Sun City retirement community, the largest in the Midwest. The old part of Huntley is also known for its public square which features a gazebo, as well as a full brick-paved street (Woodstock St. ) and 50s-style diner, The Huntley Dairy Mart. Huntley may also be known for the innovations and controversies of Consolidated School District 158. The village's slogan is "The Friendly Village With Country Charm."