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.
Little Cedar is an unincorporated community in central Mitchell County, Iowa, United States. It lies along local roads northeast of the city of Osage, the county seat of Mitchell County. Its elevation is 1,194 feet (364 m), and it is located at 43°22′49″N 92°42′33″W / 43.38028°N 92.70917°W / 43.38028; -92.70917 (43.3802478, -92.7257437). Although Little Cedar is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 50454.