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.
Grand Marais is an unincorporated community in Burt Township, Alger County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located on Lake Superior at 46°40′15″N 85°59′07″W / 46.67083°N 85.98528°W / 46.67083; -85.98528 and is the eastern gateway to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore via H-58. Grand Marais is the northern terminus of M-77. Seney and the Seney National Wildlife Refuge are to the south.