Carbon pipeline shapes race for South Dakota's Public Utilities Commission

Current commissioner Kristie Feigen looks to fend off challenge from pair of candidates

The fate of a hot political talker in the Mount Rushmore State could rest in the hands of the quietly powerful South Dakota Public Utilities Commission (PUC).

But demands for impartiality among anyone serving on the three-member panel have candidates in this year’s PUC race treading lightly when talking to voters about a proposed carbon pipeline they could end up voting on.

That’s because the PUC is considered a quasi-judicial government body, forcing the trio of hopefuls vying for a spot on the commission into a balancing act between transparency and caution.

“When I talk to people, I compare it to being a Supreme Court justice,” explained Public Utilities Commissioner Kristie Fiegen, the Republican incumbent in the contest. “People understand.”