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.
Cuba is a city in Republic County, Kansas, United States. The population was 231 at the 2000 census. The town has received attention due to its small town America nature documented by photographer Jim Richardson. Cuba, Kansas and Jim Richardson were highlighted on the "CBS News Sunday Morning" show in 1983 and May 9, 2004 as well as the May 2004 issue of National Geographic Magazine .