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.
Whitehall is a city in Muskegon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,884 at the 2000 census. The city is located in the southwest corner of Whitehall Township. Montague, Michigan is its neighbor. It is located on White Lake (actually the mouth of the White River on Lake Michigan). It was first settled in 1859 as a lumber town, taking advantage of its water location. The same location now makes it attractive to tourists and recreational boaters. The mayor is Emery "Mac" Hatch. Norm "Stormin Norman" Ullman was mayor before him, and taught U.S. Government for several years at Whitehall High School.