Montana Public Service Commission briefs House committee on safety, ratemaking and internal reforms

The Montana Public Service Commission told the House Energy, Technology, and Federal Relations committee that a 2021 strategic planning effort reshaped the agency’s organization and improved oversight of monopolistic utilities and safety programs.

“For the record, my name is Jennifer Fielder … and I am the vice president of the Montana Public Service Commission,” Vice President Jennifer Fielder said, describing the commission as a five‑member, elected body that regulates privately owned electric, natural gas, water and sewer, landline telephone companies, garbage haulers and passenger shuttles.

Fielder outlined steps the commission took after audits and operational issues surfaced: creating an executive director position to serve as a buffer between individual commissioners and staff, consolidating functions into legal, centralized services and regulatory divisions, and instituting internal policies to clarify duties and strengthen fiscal controls.

Lucas Hamilton, chief legal counsel, said the legal division advises the commission, manages contested‑case proceedings and represents the PSC in litigation and before federal bodies such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. “We handle all … prehearing motions,” Hamilton said.

Will Roesquist, regulatory division administrator, described the rate analyst team’s role in rate cases, summarizing the three core steps of rate making — revenue requirement, cost allocation and rate design — and the analysts’ technical review of testimony, filings and calculations.

Program managers detailed safety work: Joel Tierney, pipeline program manager, said the PSC’s intrastate pipeline safety program partners with USDOT PHMSA, runs extensive training and conducts roughly 180–200 field inspection days per year; he added the program has received perfect federal performance audit scores in recent years. Dan Sherwood, railroad program manager, said Montana’s inspectors have found defects such as an overheated wheel bearing and a thin flange on loaded tank cars; he noted those defects would have left yards without state inspection and likened them to issues cited in the East Palestine derailment.

Tina Shorten, supervisory regulatory compliance specialist, described the unit’s consumer assistance work — handling complaints, interpreting tariffs and processing registrations for motor carriers, water and sewer utilities and telecommunications providers. She also said the compliance team monitors numbering resources to extend the life of Montana’s single 406 area code.

Jason Brown of the Montana Consumer Council told the committee his office is constitutionally charged to represent residential and small commercial customers before the PSC and courts and participates in rate cases and settlements.

The presentation lasted about 30 minutes and ended with the committee taking a short break before hearings on several bills. The PSC officials offered to answer follow‑up questions and provided contact points for members seeking further detail.