House panel presses Public Service Commission on budget requests, flags $110,000 gap for national-case work

Bismarck — Commissioners and staff from the North Dakota Public Service Commission told the House Appropriations Government Operations Division on Monday that they need extra funding to participate in national regulatory and court cases and to sustain several technical inspection programs.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) asked the committee to restore an "intervention" operating line of $380,000 for the upcoming biennium, citing work before federal regulators and courts that the agency says affects energy reliability and costs. Randy Christwin, speaking on behalf of the PSC, said Governor Doug Burgum’s budget included $300,000 but Governor Kelly Armstrong’s budget reduced that to $190,000, leaving an $110,000 shortfall versus the PSC’s request. "We requested $380,000 for these interventions. Governor Burgum granted 300 of the 380 and Governor Armstrong cut that," Christwin said.

Why it matters: the PSC says those dollars pay for outside law firms and expert consultants needed to pursue or defend cases at venues such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the Federal Communications Commission and in federal courts. Commissioners pointed to prior multistate litigation — including opposition to the Clean Power Plan — as precedent for states playing lead roles in national rule‑making and lawsuits.

The PSC told lawmakers the agency has a mix…