Preserving the health and safety of the public is important for the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (Commission). The Commission will continue to offer virtual participation options for all public meetings. The Commission will continue to hold its public meetings online using the WebEx platform. Members of the public may view the Commission’s meetings by joining the WebEx meeting, or may listen to the Commission meetings by calling in, using the instructions detailed on this webpage.
The Commission calendar posting for agenda meetings will include a WebEx meeting number to join the WebEx platform, and a dial-in number to join the meeting over the phone. In the event of technological disruption, the Commission has reserved a conference phone line in order to conduct the Commission’s business.
Due to the high volume of users interested in observing the Commission’s proceedings, we are asking members of the general public who will not have a speaking role during the Commission meeting to use the phone option to listen to the meeting, or to observe the meeting via the webcast.
To attend an in-person meeting, the public will be able to access the Commission Hearing Room within the Metro Square Building via the skyway at the Robert Street Parking Structure between the hours of 7am and 6pm.
The Commission will continue to provide ongoing information as public health guidance is updated. The Commission continues to recommend online participation using the WebEx platform for participations and our online webstream for those interested in watching proceedings.
How the Public can observe a meeting using WebEx
Members of the public can watch how the Commission makes decisions (during Agenda Meetings) and gathers information about issues that are important to Minnesotans but may not necessarily have their own docket (Planning Meetings). During Planning and Agenda meetings, the public can watch decisions-making through a WebEx livestream. The livestream can be accessed by going to the PUC’s calendar page. On the small calendar icon or list of dates, find the meeting you’d like to watch. Click on that meeting. You will be redirected to a page with all the information about that meeting. Click on the “Live Webcast.” A new window will open where you can push “Play” to start watching the meeting. The meeting’s Agenda will open to the right of the meeting so you can see everything the Commission will be deciding.
Install WebEx Meetings Desktop App
Go to https://minnesota.webex.com.
On the dropdown menu at the top left of the page click on Download
Click the Download button under the WebEx Meetings Desktop App heading.
Open the WebEx Meetings Desktop App file to launch the installation.
Follow the prompts until the installation finishes.
Open your browser. If prompted, click Enable or Allow for the WebEx Meetings add-on.
How to Join a meeting (By Computer, once you’ve installed the WebEx Meetings Desktop App)
Go to https://minnesota.webex.com.
Type in the Meeting Number and click Join.
Enter your name, email address, and meeting password, if prompted. Click Join.
Follow any prompts for installing or running software and add-ins (if you’ve previously installed the software, you will skip this step).
A WebEx window will open and will be on the Quick Start tab.
A walk through of this process can be found here. This link includes instructions for different platforms, including mobile devices.
A helpful guide for WebEx Attendees can be found here.
Overview of the audio connection options you have for the WebEx meeting:
Under Select audio connection, select how to connect to the audio portion of the meeting:
To have the meeting call you on the phone, click Call Me.
To dial in from your phone, click I Will Call In.
To connect using a headset, click Call Using Computer.
Then click Connect Audio.
A quick video overview of these connections can be found here.
Joining By Phone
Locate the Viewing Instructions for the meeting you want to call on the Commission’s Public Calendar (found here).
Call the phone number found on the Viewing Instructions for the meeting you’d like to attend.
Enter the Attendee Access Code from the Viewing Instructions when prompted, followed by the # sign. Enter the # again.
The attendee is now connected via phone to the audio portion of the WebEx.
Watch via the Commission Webcast
All Commission Agenda Meetings are broadcast live via webcast each week. A link to the live webcast can be found under each meeting on the Commission’s Public Calendar (found here). No special software is needed to watch the webcast from your computer.
Need More Help?
Individuals who need assistance before the meeting should contact Paula Hoena at 651-201-2211 or Paula.Hoena@state.mn.us.
Individuals experiencing technical problems during the meeting should contact Mary Swoboda at 651-201-2244 or Mary.Swoboda@state.mn.us.
Members of the public may provide written comments through the online Comment Form, mail, e-mail to consumer.puc@state.mn.us, fax, or eFiling. More instructions are available on the Public Comments webpage. Members of the public may be invited to speak during hearings at the discretion of the Commission chair. If you would like to speak during a Commission meeting, please make that request to Paula Hoena at least two business days before the hearing is scheduled to begin. Given the technical limitations of conducting the meeting online, the public is encouraged to provide written comments in advance.
Do I need a WebEx account to join a meeting?
You don't need a WebEx account to join meetings that you're invited to. You do need the Attendee Access Code to join the meeting.
Why is there no audio?
If you're using your computer for audio:
The speaker or microphone volume may be low. Adjust your speaker and microphone settings.
An overloaded network can cause poor quality audio or video. Try turning off your video and other devices that may be using a lot of bandwidth. If all else fails, consider dialing into your meeting for audio
If you join from your browser using the web app, you may need to allow WebEx to use your microphone.
How do I download the app?
If you are an invited panelist, when you click the join link in your email invite, the WebEx Meetings app automatically downloads. You can also download it from Minnesota.webex.com. If you want to join without downloading anything, join from your browser.
How do I start or stop my video?
Instructions on how to manage your video during a WebEx meeting can be found here.
How do I mute or unmute myself?
Instructions on how to mute or unmute yourself during a WebEx meeting can be found here.
