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.
Emporium is a borough in Cameron County, Pennsylvania, 100 miles (161 km) west-northwest of Williamsport. Early in the twentieth century, it had large powder plants and manufactories of radio tubes, incandescent lamps, paving brick, flour, iron, lumber, sole leather, etc. In 1900, 2,463 people lived in Emporium, and in 1910, the population was 2,916. The population was 2,526 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Cameron County.