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.
Lake Pleasant is a town in Hamilton County, New York, United States. The population was 876 at the 2000 census. It contains the county seat of Hamilton County, which is also called Lake Pleasant. The Town of Lake Pleasant is within the Adirondack Park and is centrally located in the county. The town is northwest of Schenectady. Lake Pleasant is considered a tourist hub in Hamilton County. Estimates put the number of summer homes at around three-quarters of the homes in the area. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the unofficial Summer season, the small town is a busy community, with many activities including a parade, fireworks, Summer musical and art show.