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.
Mineral Point is a city in Iowa County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,617 at the 2000 census. One of Wisconsin's oldest cities, Mineral Point was settled in 1827 and became a lead and zinc mining center during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Today the city's historical character has made it a regional tourist destination. The city is located within the Town of Mineral Point. Mineral Point is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area.