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.
Sheridan is a town in Madison County, Montana, United States named after the Civil War general Philip Sheridan. The population was 659 at the 2000 census. Sheridan is known as the "heart of the Ruby Valley. " Seven majestic mountain ranges surround this beautiful community. (Tobacco Root Range, Highlands Mountains, McCartney Mountain, The Pioneers, The Ruby Range, The Gravellies and the Snowcrest Range) The geology of the area includes some of the oldest rocks dating back over 2.7 billion years. The Ruby River winds through the valley just west of the town. The town is the business center for the Ruby Valley. In an effort to promote the town - the community has formed a Main Street Improvement Team, provides for free Wi-Fi in town and has their own Web site where artists, businesses, and general information about the area can be found at their home page