A public utility is an entity that provides the general public with essential goods and services such as electricity, natural gas, energy, water, sewer, heat, telecommunications (telephone, fiber optic or broadband internet), railroad, and rail transit.

Public utilities (goods and services) are often provided by a public utility corporation that is essentially given a monopoly over the provision of the good or service in a certain geographic area—and exemption from antitrust and unfair competition laws—in exchange for certain governmental restrictions and regulations. Public utility companies are often regulated by a governmental Public Utility Commission (PUC).

The laws and rules that govern public utilities are usually located in state or federal statutes—depending on whether the utility is regulated by the state or federal government. For example, many states have a public utilities code—sometimes called a public utility regulatory act—or provide for public utility corporations and their regulation in the state administrative code. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is one example of a PUC at the federal level.

In Arkansas, public utilities are regulated entities that provide essential services such as electricity, water, and telecommunications to the public. These utilities are typically granted a monopoly within a certain geographic area in exchange for adhering to government regulations and oversight. The Arkansas Public Service Commission (APSC) is the state regulatory authority that oversees public utilities, ensuring that they provide reliable services at reasonable rates while maintaining safety standards. The APSC's jurisdiction includes electric, gas, water, sewer, and telecommunications utilities, among others. The regulation of public utilities in Arkansas is governed by state statutes, which can be found in the Arkansas Code and are supplemented by rules and regulations promulgated by the APSC. Additionally, utilities that operate across state lines or that are involved in the generation and transmission of electricity may also be subject to federal regulation by agencies such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).