Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison addressed the Public Utilities Commission on October 13, 2026 at its first informational session in a statewide investigation into the affordability of rate-regulated electric and natural gas service. State law has his office represent residential and small-business customers of investor-owned utilities in PUC matters.
Ellison said residential customers, unlike businesses, cannot pass cost increases on to anyone, and if they cannot pay they may have service disconnected, and renters may lose their homes. He cited an RMI definition of affordability as whether households can pay for essential energy services without sacrificing health or safety, and added “without sacrificing dignity.”
He noted that gas bills from November to March are much higher than summer bills for Minnesotans, and that affordability means more than the per-kilowatt-hour rate or an average bill. His office’s consumer help line is 651-296-3353 in the Twin Cities and 800-657-3787 elsewhere in Minnesota.