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.
Park Ridge is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. Park Ridge has a population of 8,945 according to the 2006 U.S. Census. Park Ridge was created as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 15, 1894, from portions of Washington Township, at the height of the "Boroughitis" phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day. Park Ridge obtained a portion of River Vale (July 15, 1929), exchanged portions with Woodcliff Lake (December 12, 1955), received part of Washington Township (November 26, 1956), exchanged portions with Hillsdale (February 10, 1958) and Woodcliff Lake (June 9, 1958) and received another part of Washington Township (August 11, 1958).