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.
Rockwall is a city in Rockwall County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. The population was 17,976 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Rockwall County. Rockwall County is the second wealthiest county in the state of Texas in terms of median income. The majority of its residents enjoy a relatively high standard of living. The name Rockwall is derived from a naturally jointed geological formation, which has the appearance of an artificial wall.