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.
Cottontown is an unincorporated community in Sumner County, Tennessee, United States. It is located along State Route 25 northwest of neighboring Gallatin. The area has its own Post Office. The United States Postal Service Zip Code for the Cottontown area is 37048.