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.
Simpsonville is a city in Greenville County, South Carolina, United States. It is part of the Greenville–Mauldin–Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,352 at the 2000 census. Simpsonville is part of the "Golden Strip", along with Mauldin and Fountain Inn, which is noted for having low unemployment due to a diversity of industries including Para-Chem, Kemet, and Milliken. Simpsonville is home to Hillcrest High School. Simpsonville is also home to the 2008 Little League Softball World Champions.