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.
Panola is an unincorporated community in Panola County, Texas, United States. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had an estimated population of 296 in 2000. Panola is located at 32°21′29″N 94°05′29″W / 32.35806°N 94.09139°W / 32.35806; -94.09139 (32.3579347, -94.0912991). It is situated at the junction of U.S. Highway 79 and FM 9 in northeastern Panola County, approximately 20 miles northeast of Carthage. Although it is unincorporated, Panola has a post office, with the ZIP code of 75685..