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.
Dodgeville is the most populous city and county seat of Iowa County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,220 at the 2000 census. In 2008 the population was estimated to be 4,975. The city is currently estimated to be over 5,000 people. It is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is twinned with Oakham, Rutland, located in Great Britain.