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.
Rugby is an unincorporated community in Morgan and Scott counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Founded in 1880 by English author Thomas Hughes, Rugby was built as an experimental utopian colony. While Hughes' experiment largely failed, a small community lingered at Rugby throughout the 20th century. In the 1960s, the residents of Rugby began restoring the original design and layout of the community, preserving surviving structures and reconstructing others. Rugby's architecture and picturesque setting have made it a popular tourist attraction. In 1972, Rugby's historic area was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district.