public utility

noun

Updated on: 11 Apr 2018

Definition of public utility

: a business organization (such as an electric company) performing a public service and subject to special governmental regulation

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Recent Examples of public utility from the Web

Cliff graduated from the University of Vermont in 1953 and had a long and successful career in the public utilities field.

— hartford courant, courant.com, "Clifford M. and Jean Willis LaGrow," 6 Apr. 2018
His legal expertise was trusts and estates, estate and tax planning and public utility law.

— frederick n. rasmussen, baltimoresun.com, "Robert R. Bair, a retired lawyer and former Venable LLP partner," 3 Apr. 2018
Consequently, electric utilities’ actions are heavily scrutinized and regulated by public utility commissions employing full-time staffs.

— steven sexton, WSJ, "The U.S. Olympic Monopoly Needs Accountability," 29 Mar. 2018
Buy Photo The Commonwealth Court ruled Monday that the public utility status of Sunoco Pipeline LP’s Mariner East project outweighs a Delaware County community’s zoning law that prohibits a pipeline from passing less than 75 feet from a residence.

— andrew maykuth, Philly.com, "Once again, court upholds Sunoco Pipeline's Mariner East project," 27 Mar. 2018
The city of Cheney and public utility districts in Grant and Pend Oreille counties have already established systems with varying degrees of connectivity for individual residents.

— kip hill, The Seattle Times, "Spokane explores publicly owned broadband network," 16 Mar. 2018
In the past, the utility company has been less than enthusiastic about forming public utility districts.

— phil diehl, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Solana Beach blazing energy-alternative trail," 11 Mar. 2018
Incremental upgrades to wires are typically approved as a mater of course by state public utility commissions and by the FERC.

— john funk, cleveland.com, "FirstEnergy Solutions failure appears inevitable says FE CEO," 21 Feb. 2018
Other ideas include turning Google into a public utility like its counterparts in the telecommunications sector.

— tracey lien, latimes.com, "Silicon Valley played by a different set of rules. Facebook’s crisis could put an end to that," 23 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'public utility.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.