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Public Utilities Commission seeks 5% commissioner pay increase and one‑time IT and pipeline safety truck funds
Summary
The Idaho Public Utilities Commission presented its FY2026 budget to JFAC, requesting a 5% increase for commissioners (statutorily set), one‑time funding for a pipeline safety truck and OIT‑recommended hardware and licensing replacements, and describing its dedicated‑fund revenue model.
Kellen McGurkin, Legislative Services analyst, presented the Public Utilities Commission’s fiscal materials to the Joint Finance Appropriations Committee and outlined a governor‑recommended 5% salary increase for the three commissioners along with one‑time equipment and IT replacements the agency requested for FY2026.
The commission’s president, Eric Anderson, explained the agency is funded through assessments on regulated utilities and does not use general fund dollars. PUC has 48 authorized FTEs, including the three commissioners who serve staggered six‑year terms and whose pay is set in Idaho Code section 61‑215. McGurkin said the governor’s recommendation included a $23,100 total figure representing a 5% raise for the three commissioners; any statutory change to commissioner pay would require committee and statutory action because salaries are set in code.
The PUC requested $114,100 one‑time from its dedicated fund, including $40,500 to replace a pipeline safety truck and $73,600 for items recommended by the Office of Information Technology Services: 14 laptops and one desktop, five network switches, document‑management licenses and other hardware and licensing maintenance. The agency indicated it targets an ending free fund balance near 60% of annual appropriation to protect against a delayed biannual assessment payment from regulated utilities.
Commission President Eric Anderson noted PUC’s regional engagement on transmission and market issues: commissioners attend multistate and industry meetings about regional transmission organization options and market governance because those matters affect credit ratings and the utilities’ ability to secure financing for large infrastructure projects. He also said the commission maintains a historic physical record of filings and has four staff handling document management and the Tuesday decision meetings that consolidate records into the official file.
No committee votes were taken at the presentation. Anderson invited legislators to contact PUC policy staff with questions about orders, filings or regional coordination activities.
The committee has discretion over the statutory salary language and will decide whether to adopt any change the governor recommended for commissioner compensation; the PUC’s main operating revenues come from assessments billed to utilities and collected into its dedicated regulatory fund.
