Montana
Montana Public Service Commission
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A RegulatorIndex state record assembled from public roster data, official commission materials, and module-specific sources. Each module displays a date only when its source data records one.
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Commissioners
5Fax (406) 444-7618
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Fax (406) 444-7618
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Fax (406) 444-7618
Preview name, title, commission, and state first. Nothing is saved until you confirm the destination workspace.
Fax (406) 444-7618
Preview name, title, commission, and state first. Nothing is saved until you confirm the destination workspace.
Fax (406) 444-7618
Preview name, title, commission, and state first. Nothing is saved until you confirm the destination workspace.
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State Intelligence
Updated Aug 3, 2026Utility Landscape
NorthWestern Energy
IOUCentral and western Montana electric and gas service, covering roughly 400,000 customers across a large swath of the state
NorthWestern is the dominant IOU in Montana and faces ongoing scrutiny over resource adequacy, rate design, and cost recovery for capital investments. The commission has historically engaged contentiously with NorthWestern over prudency of generation acquisitions and transmission cost allocations.
Glacier Electric Cooperative
coopNorthwestern Montana including Glacier County and surrounding rural areas near the Canadian border
As a distribution cooperative, Glacier Electric is primarily subject to USDA RUS lending requirements and internal member governance rather than direct MPSC rate-setting, though interconnection and reliability issues intersect with MPSC jurisdiction.
Missoula Electric Cooperative
coopRural areas surrounding Missoula County, excluding the city of Missoula itself
Missoula Electric has navigated increasing distributed generation interconnection requests driven by residential solar adoption in the Missoula corridor, creating tension with its wholesale power supply arrangements.
Montana-Dakota Utilities (MDU)
IOUEastern Montana natural gas distribution serving communities including Glendive, Miles City, and surrounding Yellowstone and Dawson County areas
MDU's Montana gas operations are a smaller footprint compared to its multistate profile, but the utility has sought recovery for pipeline integrity management costs and system modernization investments in recent MPSC proceedings.
City of Missoula Water Utility
muniCity of Missoula municipal water and wastewater service territory
Following the city's acquisition of Mountain Water Company after prolonged litigation, the municipal water system remains under MPSC jurisdiction for rate-setting purposes, an unusual posture for a muni utility that has generated ongoing jurisdictional and rate design disputes.
Flathead Electric Cooperative
coopFlathead Valley and Lake County in northwestern Montana, one of the larger coops in the state
Flathead Electric serves a high-growth recreational corridor with increasing electrification and EV infrastructure demand, and has been active in Bonneville Power Administration wholesale contract negotiations that affect member rates.
Key Issues
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NorthWestern Energy general rate case cycle: Following its last major rate case, NorthWestern is expected to initiate or is in active proceedings for cost recovery tied to the Yellowstone County generating facility acquisition and ongoing transmission infrastructure investments, with MPSC scrutiny focused on whether acquisition premiums were prudently incurred.
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Resource adequacy and capacity planning amid coal retirement: Montana's dependence on Colstrip Units 3 and 4 creates acute capacity replacement pressure; MPSC is actively engaged in reviewing NorthWestern's integrated resource planning filings to ensure adequate replacement capacity timelines as Colstrip co-owners accelerate exit discussions.
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Renewable energy integration and net metering reform: The MPSC has been evaluating reforms to net metering tariff structures and standby charges for distributed solar customers, balancing NorthWestern's cost-shift arguments against consumer and clean energy advocate opposition, with the proceeding drawing significant stakeholder intervention.
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Municipal water rate jurisdiction — City of Missoula: The MPSC's continued assertion of ratemaking jurisdiction over the Missoula municipal water system remains contested, with pending questions about the appropriate rate of return, capital investment recovery, and whether the city can exercise municipal authority to supersede commission-approved rates.
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Grid modernization and advanced metering infrastructure cost recovery: NorthWestern has sought or is anticipated to seek recovery mechanisms for AMI deployment and associated cybersecurity infrastructure, raising questions at the MPSC about the appropriate ratemaking treatment and consumer data privacy safeguards.
Upcoming
Estimated deadline for NorthWestern Energy to file updated integrated resource plan with MPSC reflecting revised Colstrip retirement scenarios and replacement capacity procurement strategy; exact date subject to commission scheduling order.
Estimated MPSC open meeting at which commissioners are anticipated to consider next procedural steps or issue a decision in the pending net metering tariff reform docket, following conclusion of the comment period.
Estimated evidentiary hearing date in NorthWestern Energy rate case or cost recovery docket related to Yellowstone County generating facility prudency review; date estimated based on typical MPSC procedural timelines following initial filing.
Estimated MPSC decision expected on Missoula municipal water rate jurisdiction and rate design proceeding, following anticipated fall 2026 hearings; timing is approximate and contingent on hearing completion and commission deliberation schedule.
Commissioner Watch
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Staff
32| Name | Title | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Gary Duncan | Revenue Requirements & Audits | (406) 444-6189 |
| Tina Limesand | Business Manager | (406) 444-6199 |
| Tina Shorten | Regulatory Compliance Supervisor | (406) 444-6380 |
| Joel Tierney | Utilities Engineer/Pipeline Safety Program Manager | (406) 444-6180 |
| Patricia Trooien | Commission Secretary | (406) 444-6012 |
| Laura Vachowski | Attorney | (406) 444-6187 |
| HEATHER CAMPBELL | Assistant Commission Secretary | (406) 444-6199 |
| Mike Dalton | — | (406) 444-6199 |
| Philip English | — | (406) 444-6199 |
| Grant FInk | Rate Analyst | (406) 444-6199 |
| Alexandra Ghosh | Rate Analyst | (406) 444-6182 |
| Haylee Gobert | Utility Rate Analyst | (406) 444-6199 |
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