Line 3 fight brings PUC higher profile, lots of applicants

Thanks to the heated Line 3 project in Northern Minnesota, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) was brought into center focus this last year. This project has awakened the public’s mind to Minnesota’s energy transition to a more decentralized, carbon-free, and renewable future. This transition will be largely shaped by what happens behind closed doors at the Public Utilities Commission. To ensure the best possible transition for the future of the state, many have applied for the upcoming commissioner opening. The Energy Transition Lab’s own Ellen Anderson, who was once a commissioner on the Public Utilities Commission panel, touches on the nature of Minnesota’s PUC and the necessity for a future of greater balance regarding clean energy and fair economics. To read more about the Public Utilities Commission, the details behind the opening position, and those contending for the newly highlighted position click here.

For a long time, that regulatory work was fairly predictable. Utilities had a few really big, mostly coal-fired power plants, and long transmission lines to carry electricity to customers. State regulators, for the most part, focused on keeping electricity reliable and cheap, said Ellen Anderson.

“Basically that was the bottom line,” she said. “What’s the lowest cost option?”

Now, that energy system is being flipped on its head. Electricity is being produced all around the state, in wind farms, community solar gardens, and on homeowners’ rooftops, and in the future, will be increasingly used to power our vehicles.