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.
Jefferson is a city in Union County, South Dakota, United States. It is part of the Sioux City, IA–NE–SD Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 586 at the 2000 census. Jefferson was founded in 1859. Every year the citizens of Jefferson and surrounding area celebrate the founding of Jefferson during the Days of '59 celebration, a weekend-long festival that includes softball, basketball, horseshoes, and a poker tournament, as well as a car show and parade.