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.
Hudson is a city in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2000 census, its population was 8,775. Its 2008 estimated population was 11,865. Hudson has experienced considerable growth in recent years because of its proximity to the Twin Cities. Hudson, along with the rest of St. Croix County, is part of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro area. The village of North Hudson is located directly to the north of Hudson.