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.
Paintsville is a city in Johnson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 4,132 at the 2000 census. In 2008, Paintsville had an estimated population of 4,216, making it the 86th largest city in Kentucky in terms of population. It is the county seat of Johnson County. On June 9, 2009, Paintsville became a "wet" city for the first time since March 14, 1945. This means that some stores located within city limits are allowed to sell alcoholic beverages.