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.
Durand is a city in Pepin County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,968 at the 2000 census. The city is located within the Town of Durand and is also the county seat. Originally named Bear Creek, Durand is located on the banks of the Chippewa River approximately 15 miles (24 km) from its confluence with the Mississippi River.