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Idaho Public Utilities Commission seeks modest commissioner pay increase and one‑time IT replacements
Summary
PUC officials and an analyst told JFAC the agency is funded by regulatory assessments, maintains a target fund balance, requested a 5% commissioner salary increase and sought one‑time dedicated funds for a pipeline safety truck and OITS‑recommended IT replacements.
The Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC) presented its fiscal 2026 budget request to the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee on Oct. 24, reiterating that the agency is funded through assessments on regulated utilities rather than general funds and requesting a modest statutory pay change for commissioners plus one‑time dedicated fund items for vehicles and IT hardware.
Kellen McGurkin, a Legislative Services analyst, explained that PUC’s revenues come chiefly from special regulatory fees assessed to regulated utilities and that the commission typically maintains an ending free fund balance of about 60 percent of total appropriation to smooth biannual payments from utilities.
Commissioner Eric Anderson, PUC president, and executive director Maria Barrett Riley were present for questions. Anderson said commissioners are appointed for six‑year terms and their salaries are set in statute (Idaho Code §61‑215); increasing commissioner pay requires a statutory change. The commission requested a 5 percent increase for the three commissioner positions; the governor recommended that increase in the presented budget.
Key budget items
- Commissioners’ compensation: PUC requested an ongoing increase equivalent to a 5 percent adjustment to commissioner pay; the agency noted commissioner salaries are explicitly set in statute and any change requires legislative action. - One‑time dedicated fund requests: $114,100 total, including $40,500 to replace a pipeline‑safety truck and $73,600 for several IT hardware and licensing items identified by the Office of Information Technology Services (OITS) (laptops, network switches, document‑management licenses and wireless access points). - Personnel: the commission has 48 FTP and reported four vacancies and a five‑year filled FTP average of 84 percent; personnel costs comprised roughly 75 percent of FY2024 expenditures.
Documentation and operation notes
McGurkin told the committee PUC sets biannual assessments to cover operations and that revenue changes typically mirror appropriation changes because the commission adjusts assessments to cover the cost of regulation. He also noted that three commissioners are excluded from routine statewide CEC adjustments; salary changes for those positions have historically been advanced via enhancement bills that modify the statute.
Committee members asked about document management and records. Commissioner Anderson said the commission has four dedicated administrative staff who handle filings and that PUC maintains an archive of records dating back to 1913; the agency has moved many filings to electronic systems and maintains secure storage for historical records.
Next steps
No committee appropriation vote was recorded in the hearing transcript. The governor recommended the requested items; committee members asked for the supporting detail that appears in LBB materials and asked staff to relay any further materials if needed.
(Reporting note: direct quotes and facts are attributed to Kellen McGurkin, Legislative Services analyst, and Eric Anderson, President, Idaho Public Utilities Commission.)
