Minnesota PUC
Hwikwon Ham has served on the Minnesota PUC since 2024. He is a NARUC member where he serves on the Committee on Electricity and the Committee on Consumers and the Public Interest. He spent more than 20 years in state government working on energy issues to ensure grid reliability, fostering efficient energy markets, guiding transmission planning, and advocating for equitable transmission cost allocation.
Cori Rude-Young is Director of Communications and Public Affairs for the Minnesota PUC, where she leads the agency’s communications and public engagement efforts. She spent more than a decade at the Pollution Control Agency working on environmental regulation issues. She brings nearly 20 years of state government experience communicating complex decisions to the public, press, and stakeholders.
Mike Bull serves as Deputy Executive Secretary for the Minnesota PUC. With a thirty-year career in state government and energy, he has served as non-partisan legislative counsel, held policy roles with the Department of Commerce and the Commission, and was a senior advisor to Gov. Tim Pawlenty. His private sector experience includes the Clean Grid Alliance, Xcel Energy, the Center for Energy and Environment, the Minnesota Rural Electric Association, and Minnesota Power.
The Minnesota Public Utility Commission (PUC) aims for safe, reliable, and affordable energy for Minnesota customers and a hallmark of achieving those goals is open communication with the public. Better decisions are made when the Commission hears from its citizens and the PUC stresses sharing of thoughts and even includes instructional videos on how to participate on its website.
Minneapolis is where the NARUC Summer Policy Summit is being held July 19 to 22 and provided an opportunity for the PUF team to find out more about the host Commission. Chair Katie Sieben is also NARUC Second Vice President and in line to preside over NARUC.
The PUC opened its doors to PUF, and Commissioners and Staff took time from their busy schedules to discuss priorities, including affordability, electric-gas coordination, transmission, permitting, and more. Enjoy these conversations with Minnesota Chair Katie Sieben, Vice-Chair Joseph Sullivan, Commissioner Audrey Partridge, Commissioner Hwikwon Ham, and Commissioner John Tuma. Plus, the all-important PUC Staff.
PUF: Commissioner Tuma just outlined the massive pipeline of electric infrastructure being built for the 2040 mandate, but that expanding supply is now colliding with an unprecedented surge in data center demand. How do you ensure these large loads pay their fair share rather than burdening consumers?