About the Commission
To learn more about how the PSC affects the lives of North Dakotans every day, click here: A Day in Your Life
The Public Service Commission is a constitutional agency with varying degrees of statutory authority over:
- Electric and Gas Utilities
- Telecommunications Companies
- Energy Plant and Transmission Sitings
- Railroads
- Weighing and Measuring Devices
- Pipeline Safety
- Coal Mine Reclamation and Abandoned Mine Lands
- Damage Prevention
The Commission is comprised of three Commissioners who are elected on a statewide basis to staggered six-year terms.
The Commission was established before North Dakota became a state. Dakota Territory established a Board of Railroad Commissioners in 1885 to oversee railroads, sleeping car companies, express companies, and telephone companies. The State's constitution retained this board and entrusted it with powers and duties to be prescribed by law. In 1940 the Board's name was changed to Public Service Commission.
As the preceding list indicates, the Legislature has broadened the Commission's duties since its early days. This trend has been reversed in some areas, however, as technology and a changing regulatory environment at both the federal and state levels have resulted in a greater dependence on competitive market forces to regulate services and rates of what were traditionally monopoly service providers.
It is anticipated that some degree of regulatory oversight will remain in most of the Commission's traditional areas of responsibility. The public's needs and legislative policymakers will ultimately decide how much regulation is required in various industries.
Mission and Values
The Public Service Commission fulfills its statutory mandates by protecting consumers, the public interest and the environment. Our values include:
- Balance: balancing public and private interest affecting each decision
- Collaboration: tackling work challenges as a team to harness expertise and achieve better outcomes with greater impact
- Continuous Improvement: building a workplace that fosters growth, excellence and diversity
- Creativity: generating solutions by turning new and imaginative ideas into sound policies and regulations that protect citizens and promote orderly development
- Responsiveness: taking action to address the needs of industry and the public
Meet the Commissioners
Randy Christmann was elected to the North Dakota Public Service Commission in November 2012 and re-elected in 2018 with a majority of votes in 49 of the 53 counties. He brings to the Commission a background in agriculture, telecommunications, and 18 years in the North Dakota Senate representing energy country. Most of all, he brings what the Minot Daily News called a let’s work together attitude.
Outside of government service, Randy operated a 117 year-old third generation cattle ranch west of Hazen, North Dakota. His wife, Bethanie, is a mortgage underwriter with Bravera Bank. Before graduating from Hazen High School in 1978, Randy enlisted in the North Dakota Army National Guard. He also enrolled at North Dakota State University and graduated from there in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
Randy was elected to the North Dakota Senate in 1994, helping Republicans achieve majority status in the North Dakota Senate. Governor Ed Schafer appointed Randy to serve as one of the two legislative appointees on the Lignite Research Council. He continued to serve in that position under Governors Hoeven and Dalrymple.
Following the statewide general election in 2000, Senate Republicans chose Randy to serve as their Assistant Majority Leader. He was re-elected to that post every two years through 2012. He also served on the Senate Appropriations Committee.
From 1999 through 2012 the members of West River Telecommunications Cooperative elected Randy to serve as a director. During part of this time Randy also served as the president of the North Dakota Association of Telecommunications Cooperatives.
Randy now brings his agriculture, telecommunications, and energy industry background to the Public Service Commission. He has led the effort to implement rules for future decommissioning and reclamation of wind farms and solar farms, serves as a PSC representative on the Lignite Research Council, and serves as a PSC representative for the multi-state Southwest Power Pool. He is the current chair and his portfolios include:
- Business Operations
- Coal mining, reclamation, and abandoned mine lands
- Auctioneer and Auction Clerk Licensing
- Telecommunications
- SPP/RSC
Sheri was appointed to the Public Service Commission in February 2022 by Governor Doug Burgum and was confirmed by the voters in Nov. 2022. Sheri came to the Commission after working in the Office of State Tax Commissioner as a human resource manager since 2017.
Sheri's portfolio at the Public Service Commission includes wind & solar reclamation; economic regulation-electric; pipeline safety; damage prevention and enforcement; weights & measures consumer affairs, and cybersecurity. Sheri currently serves as Vice President on the Mid-America Regulatory Conference (MARC) Board. She also serves as the Chair of the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute’s Advisory Council.
A native of Rugby, North Dakota, Sheri earned a bachelor's degree from the University of North Dakota in 1988 and a master's degree in management from the University of Mary in 1996. Previous to her most recent position at the Tax Commissioner's office, she served as the deputy state treasurer, director of education in the North Dakota Securities Department, coordinator for the University of North Dakota's Division of Continuing Education in Bismarck and emergency service director for the Burleigh-Morton Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Sheri was elected to the board of directors of Capital Electric Cooperative in 2010 and became chair of the board in 2020. She also previously chaired the board of Central Power Electric Cooperative, a wholesale power supply and transmission cooperative whose six member co-ops include Capital Electric.
Sheri is married to Richard and they are proud to be owners of homesteaded land that has been in her family for three generations. She is passionate about working with military groups on several different issues including raising awareness about PTSD and stigmas surrounding it, caring for disabled veterans, and participating in Wreaths Across America.
Jill Kringstad was appointed to the Commission in Jan. 2025 by Governor Kelly Armstrong. She fills the position vacated by U.S Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak.
She heads the pipeline, electric transmission and energy conversion siting; gas economic regulation; railroad safety and regulation portfolios and is the state’s liaison to the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) and the Organization of MISO states (OMS).
Jill’s passion for public service began at a young age when she started volunteering in elementary school for local charities and political causes. She served as a Legislative Page-for-a-Day, interned in Washington, D.C., for Senator John Hoeven and worked in Congressman Rick Berg’s North Dakota office.
Jill has a longstanding interest in the energy industry and began her professional career at Basin Electric Power Cooperative working in financial services and internal auditing. In 2016, she joined the ND Public Service Commission to serve the citizens of North Dakota as a budget specialist. In 2019, Jill was named the Manager of Business Operations, which included expanded responsibilities for agency operations and leadership on planning, agency mission, and strategic initiatives.
A North Dakota native, Jill was born in Bismarck, began elementary school in Dickinson, before returning to Bismarck and graduating from Bismarck Century High School. She earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting and minor in economics from Minnesota State University Moorhead. Jill is a Certified Public Accountant.
Jill is married to Ben Kringstad who teaches and coaches at New Salem-Almont High School. They have three children and reside in Bismarck.
History and Function
- You Should Know... About the ND Public Service Commission
- ND Railroads: The Centennial Story
- Centennial Exhibit: Evolution of Lignite Mining in North Dakota 1889-1989
- ND PSC History
- ND PSC Informational Brochure 1989
(Click on the photos for larger versions)
Dakota Territory established a Board of Railroad Commissioners in 1885, with general jurisdiction over railroads, sleeping car companies, express companies, and telegraph companies. At statehood, the Constitution of ND provided for election of a Board of Railroad Commissioners with powers and duties prescribed by law. In 1940, its name was changed to Public Service Commission (PSC).
(Photo: Board of Railroad Commissioners, October 5, 1926)
The Legislature has significantly broadened the duties of the PSC. Today, the Commission has varying degrees of jurisdiction over electric and natural gas utilities, telecommunications companies, weights and measures, reclamation of mined lands, the siting of energy plants and electric and natural gas transmission facilities, railroad safety, gas pipeline safety and underground damage prevention. The Commission does not have jurisdiction over the rates of rural electric or telephone cooperatives or small telephone companies.
(Photo: Members of the 1936 Commission L to R: Jim Wiley, Mel Ultieg, and Bob Carlson)
When Our Gang Came Out From Supper was the original caption on this picture. It was taken in Montana Territory in 1887, when construction forces were pushing the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway westward from Minot, in Dakota Territory, to Great Falls and Helena. The Manitoba was a Great Northern predecessor.
In one short season, between April 2 and November 19, grading and tracklaying was completed on 642 miles of line through virtually virgin territory, and four world's records were established in the process.
When the rails reached mountain country, the skyscraper
dormitory cars had to be sawed down to fit the tunnels.
(Photo submitted by: Public Relations Dept., Burlington Northern Railroad, St. Paul, MN 55101)
Staff & Contacts
Address: Phone:
600 E. Boulevard, Dept. 408 701.328.2400
Bismarck, ND 58505-0480
Toll-Free: Relay ND TTY:
877.245.6685 800.366.6888
Fax: Email:
701.328.2410 ndpsc@nd.gov