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.
Sanders is an unincorporated community in northeastern Treasure County, Montana, United States, along the Yellowstone River. It lies along local roads east of the town of Hysham, the county seat of Treasure County. Its elevation is 2,602 feet (793 m), and it is located at 46°17′29″N 107°5′48″W / 46.29139°N 107.09667°W / 46.29139; -107.09667 (46.2913778, -107.0967227). Sanders' post office first opened on 1904-03-30 and closed on 1905-10-14, only to be reopened on 1906-12-01. Although the post office finally closed on 1994-07-29, the community still has a separate ZIP code of 59076.