Independent candidate challenges incumbent Republican for Montana utility board seat
A small agency with an important, if often unintelligible job, the Montana Public Service Commission tends to fly under Montanans’ radar, largely due to the exceedingly technical nature of its work.
Headed by five commissioners elected by district, the PSC was first established over a century ago to oversee railroad companies. Now it’s best known for regulating the monopoly utility companies that serve two-thirds of the state’s electricity and natural gas customers.
For a dozen years, the commission has been dominated by Republicans, primarily those with political experience. According to Montana Free Press’ review of election results, Montanans last sent a Democrat to Helena to represent their interests in utility regulation in 2008, and the last time an Independent appeared on the ballot was in 2016.
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