Prairie Public Broadcasting

PSC says it prefers "arms length" relationships BISMARCK, ND (NDPR) - Members of the North Dakota Public Service Commission are NOT serving on some energy advocacy groups in state government.

The PSC is not represented on the Transmission Authority, or the Department of Commerce's Empower Commission. And the PSC wants it that way.

"A lot of these meetings are coordinating promotion, trying to encourage investment in North Dakota, which is fine," said PSC member Tony Clark. "We have this separate role, which is as a regulator. And if we're too involved in the upfront process, it makes it more difficult for us toi be independent on the back end, where you actually have to hear the case, and tell a company that 'it can't go here, it has to go there.'"

Commissioner Kevin Cramer says the three P-S-C members are elected, so they have the right to speak out generally in favor of the state's energy industry. But he says since the PSC has final say over where power lines, plants and pipelines can be placed, it's better to have that "hands-off" relationship.

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