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.
Meadow is an unincorporated community in Perkins County, South Dakota, United States. Meadow is twelve miles east of Bison and two miles from the junction of South Dakota Highways 20 and 73. Although not tracked by the Census Bureau, Meadow has been assigned the ZIP code of 57644. There is a post office located within the town of Meadow. The surrounding area is farming and ranching land. Meadow is located approximately 25 kilometres to the west from the farthest point from any McDonald’s restaurant in the contiguous United States 45°27′34″N 101°54′49″W / 45.45955°N 101.91356°W / 45.45955; -101.91356. Along with Glad Valley, South Dakota, Meadow is one of the nearest communities to that point.