PROTECTING RATEPAYERS WHILE KEEPING UTILITIES STRONG AND RELIABLE – MONTANA
Montana is an energy-rich state, and with smart leadership, we can secure affordable, reliable power for generations to come.
Montana’s Energy Reality: Strengths & Pressures
Hydro — Montana’s Backbone
Montana’s hydropower delivers some of the most affordable, reliable electricity in the nation.
Hydro stabilizes our grid during peak demand and drought cycles when other states face high market prices.
Protecting and modernizing our hydro fleet is essential for long-term affordability.
Coal — Reliability & Economic Base
Coal plants like Colstrip provide firm, dispatchable power that keeps the grid stable during extreme cold snaps.
Coal jobs support entire communities; transitions must protect workers and local economies.
Modernizing existing coal units can extend their life, reduce emissions, and maintain reliability while planning future resources.
Nuclear — A Future Option for Montana
Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) provide 24/7 carbon-free, dispatchable baseload power.
Nuclear can repurpose existing coal sites with minimal land impact.
Early planning ensures Montana—not outside corporations—decides whether nuclear fits our cost and reliability goals.
New Large Loads (Data Centers & Industrial Growth)
Proposed data centers could add hundreds of megawatts of new demand—greater than many Montana towns.
Without safeguards, households could end up subsidizing required transmission and substation upgrades.
Three Major Issues the PSC Must Lead On
1. Protecting Ratepayers from Hidden Costs
Who pays for new infrastructure needed by large corporate loads? My position is simple: the customer causing the cost must pay the cost. Not families. Not farmers. Not seniors.
2. Keeping the Lights On — Reliability First
A balanced energy mix keeps Montana from relying on expensive imports. I support:
Strategic transmission upgrades
Competitive procurement of new energy resources
Smart planning for future SMR nuclear options
Extending the life of reliable legacy assets when cost-effective
3. Transparency & Accountability from Utilities
No more secret Letters of Intent or unexamined mega-load deals.
Montanans deserve to know how every major project affects their utility bills.
Protecting Montana’s Electric Cooperatives
Montana’s electric co-ops are owned by the people they serve — and they must be protected from volatile markets and unfair rate structures.
I will fight for co-ops by ensuring:
- Fair wholesale rates: Co-ops should not subsidize large industrial customers or data centers.
- Local-first grid investments: Infrastructure must serve Montana members before outside corporations.
- Priority access to new generation: Including hydro, community solar, local wind, and appropriately scaled modular nuclear.
- Transparency: Stronger PSC oversight so co-ops aren’t blindsided by high-load deals.
- Reliable baseload power: Hydro, coal, and
Co-ops thrive when the grid is reliable, rules are fair, and outside interests aren’t shifting costs onto rural Montanans.
Jeff Pattison’s Energy Commitments
As your PSC Commissioner, I will:
- Create a separate tariff for data centers and large industrial loads so families aren’t subsidizing them.
- Defend and modernize Montana’s hydro and coal infrastructure, while responsibly planning for future nuclear options like SMRs.
- Support co-ops with fair pricing, strong reliability, and a real voice at the table.
- Require utilities to publicly file all major-load contracts and LOIs.
- Keep energy rates affordable through efficiency programs, lifeline protections, and responsible long-term planning.