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.
Canandaigua is a city in Ontario County, New York, USA, of which it is the county seat. The population was 11,264 at the 2000 census. The name Canandaigua is derived from the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) word "Kanandarque" which means "chosen spot. " The City of Canandaigua, the Ontario County seat, is located next to the Town of Canandaigua. Parts of six neighboring towns also share the Canandaigua mailing address and 14424 ZIP code. Sonnenberg Mansion and Gardens, a Victorian mansion and 50 acres (200,000 m²) of gardens, is now a state historic park and is open to the public after payment of an admission fee May thru mid-October.