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.
Chevy Chase is the name of both a town and an unincorporated census-designated place (CDP) in Montgomery County, Maryland. In addition, a number of villages in the same area of Montgomery County include "Chevy Chase" in their names. These villages, the town, and the CDP share a common history and together form a larger community colloquially referred to as "Chevy Chase. " This community is roughly centered on Connecticut Avenue north of the District of Columbia and also includes a neighborhood of Washington, D.C. , called Chevy Chase, D.C. Primarily a residential suburb, Chevy Chase also is near a popular shopping district, Friendship Heights, featuring several malls and a variety of shops and restaurants. Chevy Chase is home to the National 4-H Center, where the National Science Bowl is held in late April or early May. Chevy Chase is served by the Montgomery County School District.