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Montana electric cooperatives brief House Energy Committee on rural service, safety and community programs
Summary
Representatives from Montana’s electric cooperatives told the House Energy Committee that 25 member-owned co-ops serve roughly 400,000 people across all 56 counties, operate thousands of miles of lines and run safety, education and community programs including youth tours and avian-protection efforts.
Representatives from Montana’s electric cooperatives briefed the House Energy Committee on the co-op model, their service footprint and community programs on the committee’s agenda day.
Mark, who introduced himself as a government-affairs representative for the statewide association, told members that co-ops are "non profit organizations responsible only to our member owners," and described how excess revenue is returned to members as capital credits or reinvested in infrastructure. He said 25 electric cooperatives operate across the state and that about 400,000 Montanans receive power from co-ops.
Ryan Hall, identified in the briefing as communications director, said MECA’s programming includes lineman and safety training, director training, and an education program that sends roughly 26–31 students on a youth tour to Washington, D.C. He described Rural Montana magazine, which he said has a circulation of about 137,000 and mixes lifestyle and news reporting for rural residents.
Committee members asked technical and policy questions. Representative Fielder asked whether the statewide association holds generation or transmission assets; presenters clarified the association is a trade group and that distribution and limited local generation assets are held by co-op members and a small number of G&T cooperatives. The presenters noted Flathead Electric operates small hydro and biomass facilities and that some co-ops participate in community solar.
Vice chair Quarton asked how Flathead Electric serves remote Cooke City; Gary explained that when Pacific Power & Light (now PacificCorp) sold distribution systems in the 1990s, Flathead acquired the Cooke City system and maintains a lineman station there due to the cost and remoteness.
Committee members also explored whether the cooperative business model could support rural broadband deployment. Gary cited a local example: "Ravalli Electric acquired Grizzly Broadband" and is using federal grants to expand service in the Bitterroot Valley.
Members discussed equipment reliability and wildlife impacts. In answering Representative Carter’s question about why pole transformers fail, presenters explained how transformers step voltage and how animal contact, weather and system unbalance can cause failures. Representatives described voluntary avian-protection plans filed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks to monitor and reduce bird electrocutions in problem areas.
Chair Perry thanked the presenters and said the committee found the briefing valuable. The presentation served as an informational session and no committee action was taken on the cooperative presentation itself.
