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.
North Richland Hills is a city in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. The population was 55,635 at the 2000 census but estimated to be 65,078 in 2006. In 2006, North Richland Hills was selected as the one of the "Top 100 Best Places to live in America" according to Money magazine. North Richland Hills is also third largest city in Tarrant County with more than 65,750 residents.