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 Ohio, public utilities are regulated entities that provide essential services such as electricity, natural gas, water, and telecommunications to the public. These utilities are typically granted a monopoly within a certain geographic area in exchange for adhering to regulations and oversight by a governmental body. The primary regulatory authority for public utilities in Ohio is the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). PUCO oversees the rates, services, and practices of public utilities to ensure they provide safe and reliable services at fair prices. The regulation of public utilities in Ohio is governed by state statutes, which can be found in the Ohio Revised Code, and by rules in the Ohio Administrative Code. These laws and rules set forth the requirements for service provision, rate structures, and other operational aspects of utility companies. Additionally, utilities that engage in interstate commerce or that are not exclusively regulated by the state may also be subject to federal regulation by agencies such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).