MN SF2519

The Public Utilities Commission may not allow public utilities to recover travel, entertainment, and related employee expenses deemed unreasonable and unnecessary for utility service provision.

Utilities filing general rate case petitions must submit schedules separately itemizing all travel, entertainment, and related employee expenses, including categories such as travel and lodging, food and beverages, recreation, board member expenses, top ten officer and employee expenses, club memberships, gifts, aircraft expenses, and lobbying expenses.

Each expense itemization must include the date, amount, vendor name, and business purpose from the most recently completed fiscal year, with separate detailed itemization required for expenses of vice president-level and higher employees and board members.

Utilities must provide a one-page summary of total amounts for each expense category included in their proposed test year.

Submitted expense data are generally public, but the commission may treat salaries of some of the ten highest paid officers and employees (other than the top five) as private data if competitive disadvantage outweighs public interest; government entities that are parties to the rate case retain full data access.