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.
Renton is a city in King County, Washington, United States. Situated 13 miles (21 km) southeast of Seattle, Washington, Renton straddles the southeast shore of Lake Washington. The State of Washington Office of Financial Management estimates the City of Renton's population to be 82,548 as of May 2009. The population increased significantly with the recent annexation of the Benson Hill communities directly southeast of the city. According to the data from the Office of Financial Management, Renton currently contains the 11th largest population in the state, and 5th largest in King County. Based on per capita income, Renton ranks 100th of 522 areas ranked in the state of Washington.