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.
File]] Rockford is a city in Hennepin and Wright counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 3,484 at the 2000 census. While Rockford is mainly in Wright County, a small part of the city extends into Hennepin County. Minnesota State Highway 55 serves as a main route in the city.