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.
Dunseith is a city in Rolette County, North Dakota in the United States. The population was 739 at the 2000 census. Dunseith was founded in 1884. The town is named for Jeannette Dunseith Eaton, who was the mother of the town's founder William Eaton. Some locals say the town is named for Dunseith, Scotland. Dunseith is best known for its proximity to the International Peace Garden. Dùnsìth is a Gaelic word meaning "City of Peace," from dùn and sìth . The port of entry at the Peace Garden is one of three 24-hour ports in North Dakota.