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.
Battle Ground is a city in Clark County, Washington, United States. The population was 16,812 in July 1, 2008. According to the Washington State Office of Financial Management, Battle Ground ranked 4th of 279 eligible incorporated communities in population growth between 2000 and 2005.