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.
Merrill is a city in Plymouth County, Iowa, United States, along the Floyd River. The population was 754 at the 2000 census. Merrill is among the oldest towns in northwest Iowa. Named for Governor Samuel Merrill, the city was officially recognized on February 27, 1872. In 2007, the city hired Drake University public relations seniors to research and develop strategies to attract new residents.