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.
Keene is a city in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 22,955 at the 2000 census. The estimated population was 22,834 in 2007, according to the State Data Center. It is the county seat of Cheshire County. Keene is home to Keene State College and Antioch University New England, and hosts the annual Pumpkin Fest.