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.
Marblehead is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 20,377 at the 2000 census. It is home to the Marblehead Neck Wildlife Sanctuary and Devereux Beach. A town with roots in both commercial fishing and yachting, locals purport that Marblehead is both the birthplace of the American Navy and a yachting capital of the United States, although Beverly is still a notable rival to Marblehead with the title of being the birthplace of the U.S. Navy.