Appointed PSC? Bill Would Have Governor Appoint, Senate Confirm flatheadbeacon.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from flatheadbeacon.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Montana Public Service Commissioners would be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate instead of elected by voters if House Bill 755 becomes law.
Witnesses concerned about handing NorthWestern Energy monopoly rights over construction said the bill would short circuit competitive bidding and lead to higher prices.
A proposal before the Montana state Legislature would call for lawmakers to study electricity reserves and past service interruptions in order to find ways to avoid controlled outages in the case of an emergency.