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.
Valparaiso is a city in Porter County, Indiana, United States, and is the southeasternmost suburb of the Chicago metropolitan area. It is the county seat of Porter County. The population was 27,428 at the 2000 census, making it the 2nd largest city in Porter County.