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.
Rhame is a city in Bowman County, North Dakota in the United States. The population was 189 at the 2000 census. Rhame was founded in 1908. Rhame was home to Rhame High School until 2006 when it consolidated with nearby Bowman High School to form Bowman County High School which is located in Bowman, North Dakota. Rhame is still home to Rhame Elementary School.