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.
Fort Thomas is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, along the Ohio River. The population was 16,495 at the 2000 census. The current mayor is Mary Brown. The city's official nickname is The City of Beautiful Homes and is known unofficially as Cake Town. It is officially part of the Cincinnati Metropolitan Area. Downtown Fort Thomas has seen numerous updates in recent years.