Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Montana lawmakers hear bipartisan push to expand electric transmission capacity
Summary
Lawmakers heard bipartisan testimony supporting House Joint Resolution 15 calling for increased electric transmission capacity to lower costs, enable new generation and reduce reliability risks; industry groups, labor and regulators urged action and described technical and permitting hurdles.
Representative Greg Kametz, sponsor of House Joint Resolution 15, opened a committee hearing urging the Legislature to endorse a state-wide push for greater electric transmission capacity to keep electricity affordable and reliable for Montana residents and businesses.
Kametz said Montana’s economy depends on “access to affordable and reliable electricity service,” and argued that existing transmission constraints prevent new generation from reaching consumers and are causing high costs that risk driving employers out of the state.
Supporters who testified in favor of HJ 15 included labor, utilities, environmental groups and economic development representatives. Jay Reardon of the Montana State Building Construction Trades Council said, “Electrical transmission is critical to the…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
