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.
Holyoke is an unincorporated community in Holyoke Township, Carlton County, Minnesota, United States. It lies between Sandstone and Duluth. County Road 8 and Minnesota State Highway 23 are two of the main routes in the community. The Nemadji State Forest is nearby.