public utility

noun

Definition of public utility

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

Examples of public utility in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Elizabeth Warren wants to remake corporations into de facto public utilities. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "When Politicians Direct Capital," 31 Jan. 2019 The committee is discussing proposals aimed at easing the potential liability of the state’s public utilities for wildfires. — Alejandro Lazo, WSJ, "California Questions Its Growth as Its Largest Wildfire Burns," 8 Aug. 2018 Rolando Emmanuelli Jimenez, an attorney for Puerto Rico’s public utility union, said the proposal didn’t require enough sacrifice from Cofina bondholders given the territory’s shrinking tax base. — Andrew Scurria, WSJ, "Puerto Rico’s $18 Billion Bond Restructuring Nears Completion," 19 Jan. 2019 The park was leveled, and the grounds now hold office buildings for a public utility. — azcentral, "Iconic Arizona businesses that are closed," 4 Nov. 2014 Like trash cans on major thoroughfares, bike share was not a recreational pastime but a public utility. — Alexandra Lange, Curbed, "Let’s organize the city outside our front door with as much care as we do our homes," 30 Aug. 2018 Utilities and public utility commissions often support expansion of the natural gas network. — David Roberts, Vox, "Most American homes are still heated with fossil fuels. It’s time to electrify.," 2 July 2018 But in South Africa, millions of dollars flowing out of a struggling public utility and into the pockets of consultants driving Porsches and Ferraris created an unsavory image that required a response. — New York Times, "How McKinsey Lost Its Way in South Africa," 26 June 2018 What is less understood is that even when governments force public utilities to buy renewables, power companies still have to use fossil fuels or uranium to keep the grid up and running when the sun and wind are off duty. — George Melloan, WSJ, "Pruitt Leaves a Proud Legacy at the EPA," 11 July 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.