Today, Governor Mark Dayton announced his appointment of Judge Beverly Jones Heydinger to chair the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC). Judge Heydinger currently serves as an Administrative Law Judge, and she previously has served as Deputy Attorney General for the State of Minnesota. Judge Heydinger brings to the PUC valuable experience in dealing with energy and telecommunications issues; as an Administrative Law Judge, Judge Heydinger has held hearings and written decisions related to many of the issues that the PUC faces in the course of business. She also chairs the Minnesota Supreme Court's committee that oversees grants for legal services to low income Minnesotans. Judge Heydinger earned her B.A. from Carleton College, and a J.D. from the University of Michigan.

The Minnesota PUC regulates three cornerstone service industries in Minnesota's economy: electricity, natural gas and telephone. The mission of the PUC is to create and maintain a regulatory environment that ensures safe, reliable and efficient utility services at fair and reasonable rates.

About the appointment, Governor Dayton said, "Judge Heydinger will be an outstanding Chair of the PUC. In her work as an Administrative Law Judge, she has demonstrated a strong depth, breadth of knowledge, and ability to master complex issues quickly."

"Our challenge is to provide reliable, affordable and sustainable energy and telecommunications throughout the State," said Judge Heydinger. "Technology is rapidly changing, the planning horizon is long and infrastructure is expensive. We must promote efficiency, conservation and research to meet that challenge. I look forward to the opportunity of addressing these challenges."
Judge Heydinger will assume her position as Chair of the PUC on July 2, 2012.

/governor/assets/beverly_jones_heydinger.jpg_tcm1055-98047.jpgA photo of Judge Heydinger is attached.