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.
Ephraim is a city in Sanpete County, Utah, United States. The population was 4,505 at the 2000 census. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated its population to be 5,284 in 2008. It is the location of Snow College and is located along U.S. Route 89.