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.
Ashburn, Virginia is an unincorporated area located in Loudoun County, Virginia, 30 miles (48 km) northwest of Washington, D.C. , and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. The area serves as headquarters for the internet service provider Verizon Business, and the Janelia Farm Research Campus. "Redskins Park", the headquarters for the Washington Redskins football team of the National Football League, is also located in Ashburn. Ashburn is located between Washington Dulles International Airport and Leesburg, the county seat of Loudoun County. Located within the Dulles Technology Corridor, Ashburn is home to many high-tech businesses. World Trade Center Dulles Airport is currently under construction and will be the second World Trade Center in the state. George Washington University and Strayer University have campuses in Ashburn. Ashburn is home to four landmarks on the National Register of Historic Places: Belmont Manor House (1799), the Broad Run Bridge and Toll House (1820), the sanctuary of Ashburn Presbyterian Church (1878), and Janelia Farm (1936).