Follow the Money
Appointed PSC Commissioner Jill Kringstad is sitting on a $283,250 war chest. Here's where it came from.
The Governor
Gov. Kelly Armstrong, the oil and gas businessman who appointed her.
Political Insiders
Secretary of State Howe, Attorney General Wrigley, Sen. Hoeven's PAC, Rep. Fedorchak and Sen. Cramer's PAC.
Energy-Connected Donors
Her top individual donors come from energy and the Bakken oil industry, including the former CEO of Basin Electric.
Industry PACs
Oil, coal, pipeline, electric co-op and rail PACs, including North Dakota Oil PAC, Lignite Energy Council, Energy Transfer, Continental Resources and BNSF.
TruKota PAC
Sounds local. 83% of its money came from the CEO, employees and contractors of Applied Digital, an AI data center developer. The PSC approved a $110 million power line for its Harwood data center.
Regulators Roundtable
A closed-door, DC-based group that sold companies a $50,000 chance to “engage directly with these key decision-makers,” plus “a fall election briefing featuring the key Commissioners on the ballot.” Introduced by Applied Digital’s lobbyist, Kringstad wrote from her personal email: “I’d love to be a part of it.”
She's bought. He's not.
Scot Kelsh will work for ratepayers and landowners, not the companies that come before the PSC.
Sources:
Kringstad’s 2026 Pre-General campaign finance report Original→ ND Secretary of State→ cfrs.sos.nd.gov
Kringstad’s emails with lobbyist and the Regulators Roundtable. North Dakota Public Service Commission open-records response, pp. 12-15 → documentcloud.org
Regulators Roundtable investor brochure Original→ Oklahoma Corporation Commission open-records response, p. 107 → documentcloud.org
Regulators Roundtable PAC (FEC) Original: Federal Election Commission → fec.gov
TruKota PAC contributions Original: ND Secretary of State → cfrs.sos.nd.gov