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.
Rickreall (RICK-ree-awl) is an unincorporated community in Polk County, Oregon, United States. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Rickreall as a census-designated place (CDP). The census definition of the area may not precisely correspond to local understanding of the area with the same name. The population of the CDP was 57 at the 2000 census. Rickreall is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area. Rickreall Creek runs along the community's southern edge.