The Commission: About the Commission
History and Function
- You Should Know... About the ND Public Service Commission (241 kb pdf)
- ND Railroads: The Centennial Story (261 kb pdf)
- Centennial Exhibit: Evaluation of Lignite Mining in North Dakota 1889-1989 (220 kb pdf)
- ND PSC History (210 kb pdf)
- ND PSC Informational Brochure 1989 (657 kb pdf)
(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, grain elevators, auctioneers,
reclamation of mined lands, the siting of energy plants and electric and natural gas transmission facilities, and, to a
lesser degree, railroads. 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)