The California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) regulates critical and essential services such as privately owned telecommunications, electric, natural gas, and water companies, in addition to overseeing railroad/rail transit and moving and transportation companies. The PUC is the only agency in the state charged with protecting private utility consumers. As such, the PUC is responsible for ensuring that customers have safe, reliable utility service at reasonable rates, protecting against fraud, and promoting the health of California's economy, which depends on the infrastructure the utilities and the PUC provide.