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.
Gales Creek is an unincorporated community in Washington County, Oregon, United States on Oregon Route 8 northwest of Forest Grove in the foothills of the Oregon Coast Range. Gales Creek shares its name with a stream, a tributary of the Tualatin River, that was named for pioneer Joseph Gale, who settled in the area. The locale was sometimes called Gales City. Gales Creek post office was established in 1874. In the 19th century the town was the last stagecoach stop on the way to Tillamook. Gales Creek Elementary School was established in 1859 and is served by the Forest Grove School District.