PUC
Description: South Dakotans elect their three Public Utilities Commissioners to staggered, six-year terms. A dedicated staff of analysts, attorneys, consumer representatives and other professionals work with the commissioners to carry out the duties of the PUC. The commission regulates utility companies, helps to resolve disputes between customers and their utilities, operates safety programs, and licenses and inspects state public grain warehouses and grain buyersTerm: 6 years.Salary: $113,341Requirements for Office: There are no specific qualifications for this office.
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Don Haggar
(Rep)
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Frank Kloucek
(Dem)
What are your thoughts on the development of renewable forms of energy such as wind and solar in our state?
What role do you see for the PUC in the debate between landowner rights and siting transmission lines and pipelines?
What role do you see for the PUC in the permitting that is required for large data centers?
What changes, if any, would you like to see to the natural gas pipeline safety program?
How will you work to increase high-speed internet access and wireless telecommunications networks in our state?
What changes, if any, do you think are needed to ensure that utility companies in South Dakota provide safe and reliable service and that investor-owned companies do so with just and reasonable rates?
Reliability of energy is dependent of having a variety of sources of production. That includes hydroelectric, solar, wind and natural gas. We should also welcome small modular nuclear power, provided it is economically sound.
Eminent Domain should always be a LAST resort in siting cases. The South Dakota way has always been and should continue to be based on mutual benefit between landowners and utilities. The PUC's role is to protect South Dakotans and consumers by being fair, unbiased in it's review of cases that come before it.
South Dakota Legislature has passed the data center Citizen's Bill of Rights. That required three prerequisites before a data center can come into an area. First, and most importantly, no data center related costs can get passed on to consumers. Second, water usage must be monitored, and a semi-annual report of water usage by the data center is required. The local community must weigh in. The role of the PUC is to act as an unbiased judge, reviewing legislative statutes for compliance, and most importantly, protecting consumers.
This past session, safety statutes were updated during the legislative session to provide further protection.
Any changes to statutes regarding changes or incentives to telecommunication processes is done by the legislature. The commissioner's role is to make sure any proposals that come before the PUC are in compliance with the law.
We have a pretty good process currently. Our investor owned utilities and our cooperatives work hard to make sure costs are affordability and power is reliable. We have the 16th lowest electricity rates in the United States.
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