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.
Zionsville is a town located in the extreme southeast area of Boone County, Indiana, in Eagle Township. The population was 8,775 at the 2000 census. Nearby communities include Lebanon, Carmel, Whitestown, Westfield and Indianapolis. Zionsville promotes itself as a tourist attraction around its village-styled downtown area. This area primarily consists of Main Street, paved entirely in brick which is lined with small stores and restaurants. Businesses are, for the most part, family run. The majority of the town, however, has the look and feel of a typical smaller Indiana municipality. BusinessWeek rated Zionsville as Indiana's 'Best Affordable Suburb' in 2009.