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.
New Harmony is a historic town on the Wabash River in Harmony Township, Posey County, Indiana, 15 miles (24 km) north of Mount Vernon, Indiana, the county seat. The town's population has remained relatively constant over the years at around 1,000 residents. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 916. It is part of the Evansville, Indiana, metropolitan area. Many of the old Harmonist buildings still stand and have been restored. The New Harmony State Memorial is located here. Just to the south of town on State Road 69 is Harmonie State Park.