An open seat on the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is drawing interest from several notable applicants, including current and former state legislators and two leading critics of Enbridge Energy's planned Line 3 crude oil pipeline replacement, a project approved by the PUC earlier this year.
Commissioners hold six-year terms and are appointed by the governor. Chair Nancy Lange's term ends Jan. 7, 2019.
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Among the 14 applicants for the seat is Winona LaDuke, executive director of Honor the Earth, a tribally rooted environmental group, and Leili Fatehi, who has represented the Sierra Club against the Line 3 proposal.
Other applicants include state Sen. David Tomassoni, of Chisholm; state Rep. Raymond Dehn, of Minneapolis; and former state Rep. Carly Melin, of Hibbing.