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.
Orangefield is an unincorporated town located about twelve miles east of Beaumont in Orange County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 1913, the town began to develop around the oilfield just west of Orange. After a major producing well was discovered, a post office was established for Orangefield in 1922. The population level reached an estimated 1000 people by the mid-1930’s, but within the next two decades would decrease to about 500 by the early 1950’s. As of 1990, the estimated population was about 725. The Orangefield Independent School District serves area students.