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.
Alliance is a city in Stark and Mahoning counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 23,253 at the 2000 census. Alliance's nickname is "The Carnation City" and the city is home to Mount Union University. The Stark County portion of Alliance is part of the Canton–Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the small Mahoning County portion is part of the Youngstown–Warren–Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area.