PSC Commissioner Sheri Haugen-Hoffart seeks reelection, discusses energy and landowner issues

DICKINSON — Incumbent North Dakota Public Service Commissioner

Sheri Haugen-Hoffart

is seeking reelection to a six-year term, facing challenger

Deven Styczynski

in the June 9 Republican primary.

A lifelong North Dakota resident of Bismarck, Haugen-Hoffart was appointed to the Public Service Commission in 2022 by then-Gov.

Doug Burgum

after former Commissioner Brian Kroshus resigned to become state tax commissioner. Before joining the commission, she served in leadership roles with Capital Electric Cooperative and Central Power Electric Cooperative, becoming the first woman to chair the board of directors for both organizations.

During an interview with The Dickinson Press, Haugen-Hoffart discussed her candidacy, experience on the commission, utility costs, energy development, landowner concerns and the Public Service Commission’s role in overseeing major infrastructure projects across North Dakota.

1. Why are you running for the North Dakota Public Service Commission, and what qualifies you for the position?

I’m running for re-election to the Public Service Commission because I believe deeply in responsible energy development, strong consumer protections, and fair treatment for landowners. North Dakota’s energy and utility landscape is changing rapidly, and experience matters.

During my time on the Commission, I’ve focused on ensuring that the projects we approve meet the law’s requirements for safety, transparency, and respect for the people who live and work on the land. The Public Service Commission is not a policy-making body — our responsibility is to apply the law as written — and I remain committed to carrying out that duty with fairness and integrity.

Kelly Harju / The Dickinson Press

I bring experience that directly supports the work of the Public Service Commission. My background in energy includes ten years on the boards of Capital Electric Cooperative and Central Power Cooperative, where I gained firsthand understanding of the full system — from generation and transmission to distribution. Combined with four years of hands-on regulatory experience at the North Dakota Public Service Commission, this has prepared me to evaluate complex projects, ask tough questions, and make decisions grounded in facts, law, and common sense.

My work with landowners, utilities, and industry leaders has shown me how to support economic growth while staying true to North Dakota’s values. By listening directly to landowners, keeping my boots on the ground to understand how our utility systems operate, and staying engaged with ongoing education and industry innovation, I’ve gained the practical insight needed to make informed, balanced decisions.

2. What do you believe is the biggest issue currently facing the Public Service Commission and North Dakota residents?

The biggest challenge is managing rapid energy infrastructure growth while protecting consumers and landowners. North Dakota is seeing unprecedented interest in pipelines, transmission lines, carbon capture projects, and large-scale energy users like data centers. Each project brings opportunities, but also concerns about safety, land use, and long-term costs.

The PSC must ensure that development is done responsibly, transparently, and with strong protections for the people who bear the impacts. That means rigorous siting reviews, clear communication, and a commitment to keeping utility rates fair.

3. How would you balance energy development with landowner rights, especially regarding pipelines, transmission lines, and carbon capture projects?

The balance starts with a simple principle: landowners deserve respect and transparency. Energy development is important to North Dakota’s economy.

As a commissioner, I have focused on — and will continue to focus on — ensuring landowners receive clear information, requiring companies to meet strict safety and environmental standards, and holding developers accountable for reclamation and long-term impacts, even though the NDPSC has no authority over easements or easement contracts.

Responsible development is possible — but only when landowners are treated as partners, not obstacles.

4. What role should coal, oil, and renewable energy play in North Dakota’s future energy strategy?

North Dakota’s strength is its diverse energy portfolio. Coal, oil, natural gas, wind, and emerging technologies all play important roles.

Coal remains essential for grid reliability and baseload power. With continued innovation, including carbon capture, it can remain a stable part of our energy mix.

Oil and gas drive our economy and support thousands of jobs. Responsible production and pipeline infrastructure are key to keeping the industry strong.

Renewables, especially wind, have become major contributors to our energy output. They bring investment and help diversify revenue for landowners.

Our future depends on maintaining a balanced, all-of-the-above strategy that keeps energy affordable and reliable.

5. Utility rates continue to affect households and businesses. What should the PSC do to keep services affordable while maintaining infrastructure?

Affordability starts with rigorous oversight of utility rate requests. The PSC must ensure that every dollar a utility seeks to recover is justified, necessary, and in the public interest.

Key priorities include scrutinizing utility investments to ensure they are cost-effective, encouraging long-term planning that avoids sudden rate spikes, supporting infrastructure upgrades that improve reliability without unnecessary spending and promoting competition where possible.

North Dakotans deserve reliable service at an affordable price, and the PSC’s job is to hold utilities accountable for delivering both. Because North Dakota has prioritized responsible oversight and long-term energy planning, our state now has the lowest electricity rates in the nation and is one of only a few states where rates have actually decreased over the past five years.

6. What concerns are you hearing most often from rural and western North Dakota residents, and how would you address them as commissioner?

Rural and western North Dakotans raise concerns about pipeline and transmission line routes, road impacts and reclamation, utility reliability, and cost allocation. These issues come forward most clearly during our public hearings, where landowners and community members share their perspectives on proposed projects. As a commissioner, I address these concerns by carefully evaluating the evidence presented in the record, ensuring companies meet their commitments, and weighing how each project affects the people who live and work on the land.

Kelly Harju / The Dickinson Press

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The Public Service Commission does not oversee easements or easement contracts, and we are not policy makers. Our responsibility is to apply the law—nothing more, nothing less. Through the hearing process, we examine routes, impacts, reclamation plans, reliability considerations, and cost allocation to ensure that every decision is grounded in facts, law, and the long-term interests of North Dakota. Rural North Dakota is the backbone of our energy economy, and its residents deserve a fair, transparent process in every siting decision.

7.  What distinguishes you from your opponent(s), and why should voters choose you in this election?

What sets me apart is experience, consistency, and a proven record of fair, fact-based decision-making. The PSC handles complex technical, legal, and economic issues that directly affect North Dakota families and businesses. I’ve demonstrated that I can evaluate these issues carefully, listen to all sides, and make decisions grounded in the law and the long-term interests of the state.

Voters should choose me because I bring steady leadership, deep knowledge of the regulatory process, and a commitment to protecting both consumers and landowners while supporting responsible energy development.

8. As North Dakota sees growing interest in data center development and the energy infrastructure needed to support it, how would you balance economic growth with public concerns?

As interest in data center development grows, it’s important for the public to understand what the Public Service Commission does—and does not—have jurisdiction over. The PSC does not decide where a data center can or cannot be built. Those land-use decisions are made at the local level.

What the Commission does oversee are the energy infrastructure components that may be needed to support a data center: new or high-voltage transmission lines, new or expanded substations, major upgrades to existing utility infrastructure, and changes in utility rates to cover new costs. When these projects come before us, we evaluate them through a public, transparent process that considers safety, environmental impacts, reliability, and cost allocation.

Balancing economic growth with public concerns means applying the law—nothing more, nothing less. At public hearings, we hear directly from landowners, local officials, and community members about routes, impacts, reclamation, and long-term reliability. Those concerns become part of the official record we must consider when making a decision. My role as commissioner is to ensure that any infrastructure tied to data center development meets legal standards, protects the public interest, and reflects the values of North Dakotans.

9.  Should taxpayers or utility customers bear any costs associated with infrastructure upgrades tied to private data center projects? Why or why not?

Private projects should pay for the infrastructure they require. Utility customers should not be responsible for subsidizing upgrades that primarily benefit a single company or industry.

The PSC must ensure that costs are allocated fairly, utilities do not pass private development expenses onto ratepayers and any shared infrastructure investments clearly benefit the broader public.

North Dakotans expect fairness, and that includes making sure private development does not shift its costs onto the rest of the ratepayers.