House Bill No. introduced by K. Sullivan aims to establish reporting requirements for certain energy users, specifically targeting data centers and digital asset mining operations. The bill amends Section 69-3-332 of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to include definitions for "data center," "digital asset mining," "digital asset mining business," "discriminatory rates," and "home digital asset mining." Notably, it prohibits the establishment of rate classifications that would create unduly discriminatory rates for digital asset mining and related businesses.

The bill mandates that by March 1 of each year, any data center or digital asset mining business operating in Montana, excluding home digital asset mining, must report their electricity consumption to the commission and the energy and telecommunications interim committee. The required report will include the total megawatt-hours of electricity consumed in the previous calendar year and the anticipated megawatt-hours needed for the current calendar year. The act is set to take effect on March 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 69-3-332
HB0263_1(1): 69-3-332
HB0263_1(2): 69-3-332
HB0263_1(3): 69-3-332
HB0263_1(4): 69-3-332
HB0263_1(5): 69-3-332
HB0263_1: 69-3-332