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.
Grand Island is a town and an island in Erie County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 18,621. The current town name derives from the French name "La Grande Ile," as Grand Island is the largest island in the Niagara River. The phrase "La Grande Ile" appears on the town seal. The Town of Grand Island is located at the northwestern corner of the county. The town is northwest of Buffalo, New York. Interstate 190 and New York State Route 324 cross the island.