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.
Washington is a census-designated place (CDP) in Wood County, West Virginia, along the Ohio River. It is part of the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,170 at the 2000 census. The CDP is home to the Washington Works, one of the largest single facilities of chemicals manufacturing giant DuPont. Also home to Sabic Plastics Washington Works. (previously GE Plastics, acquired from Borg Warner Plastics, née Marbon)