House Bill No. introduced by J. Fitzpatrick aims to revise the definition of "public utility" in Montana law by amending Section 69-3-101, MCA. The bill clarifies that the term "public utility" encompasses various entities involved in the production and delivery of services such as heat, light, power, and regulated telecommunications. Notably, it introduces a new category of entities that are legally separate from public utilities, specifically those that own or control electric generation, transmission, or distribution facilities, provided they meet certain criteria. These criteria include serving customers with a monthly average load of at least 5 megawatts and ensuring that these customers do not also purchase electric supply service from the public utility.

Additionally, the bill appropriates $15,000 from the general fund to the Department of Commerce for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, to analyze Montana's growing energy demand in collaboration with the Department of Environmental Quality. The Department of Commerce is required to update the energy and telecommunications interim committee on this analysis by September 1, 2026. The act is set to take effect upon passage and approval, with the appropriation section becoming effective on July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 69-3-101
HB0911_1(1): 69-3-101
HB0911_1: 69-3-101
HB0911_2(1): 69-3-101
HB0911_2(2): 69-3-101
HB0911_2(3): 69-3-101
HB0911_2(4): 69-3-101
HB0911_2(5): 69-3-101
HB0911_2(6): 69-3-101
HB0911_2: 69-3-101