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.
Yelm is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. The population was 3,289 at the 2000 census. The current mayor is Ron Harding. His daughter, Janet Harding, was Miss Washington for 2008 after winning the title of Miss Tahoma. Yelm ranked 10th of 279 eligible incorporated communities in population growth between 2000 and 2005.