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.
Munster is a town located in the North Township, Lake County, in Northwest Indiana in the United States. The town lies in the Chicago metropolitan area. The 2000 U.S. Census counted the town's population at 21,511. As of 2008, the town's population is estimated at 22,105. The town is home to the Community Hospital, The Centre for Visual and Performing Arts, The Times of Northwest Indiana newspaper, a PepsiAmericas bottling and distribution facility, and The Three Floyds Brewing Company.