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.
Fennville is a city in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,459 at the 2000 census. The city is situated on M-89 on the boundary between Manlius Township on the north and Clyde Township on the south. The city of Saugatuck is about seven miles northwest and Allegan is about 13 miles east-southeast. The city and surrounding region is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) known for the production of Michigan wine.