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.
Stendal is an unincorporated community in southern Lockhart Township, Pike County, Indiana, United States. It lies along State Road 257 southeast of the city of Petersburg, the county seat of Pike County. Its elevation is 610 feet (186 m), and it is located at 38°16′0″N 87°8′40″W / 38.266667°N 87.14444°W / 38.266667; -87.14444 (38.2667177, -87.1444478). Although Stendal is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 47585. Stendal is the hometown of former U.S. Senator Vance Hartke who starred for the Stendal Aces basketball team in high school.