Contact: Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, Daniel P. Wolf 
Telephone: 651.201.2217 
Fax: 651.297.7073

St. Paul, Minnesota – This week, the Members of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (“Commission”) attended the 124th Annual Meeting of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (“NARUC” or “Association”). This year’s Annual Meeting was held in Baltimore, Maryland from Sunday through Wednesday, November 11-14. 

At the meetings, Minnesota Commissioner David Boyd was elected to the NARUC Board of Directors for a term ending in 2014. As Chair of the Association’s Subcommittee on Nuclear Issues-Waste Disposal, Commissioner Boyd also led a panel discussion concerning the outlook for action by the incoming Congress on the country’s nuclear waste. Minnesota Commission Vice-Chair Phyllis Reha co-chaired with Commissioner John Norris of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) a Collaborative concerning Emerging Issues. The topic was “Planning a New Path to the Future – Non-Transmission Alternatives.” 

Minnesota Commissioner Betsy Wergin, Chair of NARUC’s Committee on Consumer Affairs, conducted meetings of that committee, including some joint meetings with the Committees on Electricity, on Gas, and on Critical Infrastructure. Commissioner Wergin is also a member of NARUC’s Board of Directors. 

Minnesota Commissioners Chair Beverly Jones Heydinger and Dennis O’Brien also attended this week’s Annual Meeting. Commissioner Heydinger is a member of the Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment and Commissioner O’Brien is a member of the Committee on Gas. 

The Association elected Commissioner Philip Jones of the Washington (State) Utilities and Transportation Commission as the President of NARUC for the coming year. In his Installation Address, the newly-elected President focused on the challenges facing regulatory commissioners across the country. Specifically he focused on: strategic efforts to ensure appropriate cybersecurity measures for the various utility sectors; significant investments needed in utility infrastructure to modernize natural gas systems, modes of transmission, and new generation facilities; and the impact of upcoming federal regulations focusing on clean air and clean water. 

The efforts of NARUC assist the work of the Minnesota Commission and are of great value to all Minnesotans in today’s energy and telecommunications landscape. Developments in these regulatory areas have regional and national impacts. 

NARUC effectively advocates on behalf of State Commissions in national settings, keeps Commissioners informed of developments in these fields, and provides a forum for shared perspectives on challenges and opportunities for the States. NARUC was founded in 1889 and is a non-profit organization dedicated to representing the State public service Commissions that regulate essential services such as energy, telecommunications, and water. NARUC’s members include all fifty States and the District of Columbia.