Public Utilities Commission asks for staff and IT funding as new permitting duties shift workloads

ST. PAUL — Will Seifert, executive secretary of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, told the Senate Environment and Climate Committee on Feb. 17 that the PUC is seeking modest staffing and information‑technology increases to maintain regulatory functions as recent legislation increases the agency’s workload.

Seifert and deputy executive secretary Mike Bull outlined four change items in the governor’s 2026‑27 budget for the PUC: an operating adjustment to offset rising personnel and operating costs; funding for a dedicated tribal liaison to implement Minnesota Statute 10.65; $553,000 per year to support three FTE and modeling tools for natural‑gas utility planning; and $820,000 annually for technology maintenance and innovation.

Why it matters: Several bills enacted in recent years — including the Minnesota Energy Infrastructure Permitting Act and the Natural Gas Innovation Act — add substantive new responsibilities for the PUC, in some cases shifting staff and review duties previously at the Department of Commerce. The commission told the committee it needs added capacity to preserve review timelines, public access to information, and analytic support for complex cases.

Structure, workload and public participation Seifert…