Committee hears bill to create Montana Energy Authority to coordinate transmission, generation and funding

Rep. Gary Perry, sponsor of House Bill 314, told the House Energy, Technology, and Federal Relations Committee that Montana lacks a centralized energy planning body and needs one to coordinate generation, transmission and distribution as demand grows. “We are currently a ship without a rudder,” Perry said, citing a projected need for roughly 7,500 megawatts of additional capacity over the next six to 10 years and near‑term increases if Colstrip units retire.

The bill would create a governor‑appointed Montana Energy Authority with a 14‑member board, an executive director and staff; Perry said the authority would act as a clearinghouse to pursue grants, coordinate interstate planning and streamline siting and permitting. The sponsor noted the fiscal note had not yet been finalized and said the committee would not take executive action until it is available.

Why it matters: Committee members and agency witnesses said Montana is one of the few states without a central energy planning entity. Proponents argued the authority could help capture federal and regional investment, speed permitting and attract industries that need reliable power. Mandy Rambo, deputy director at the Department of Commerce, told the committee officials expected the fiscal note shortly and that existing boards could provide staffing resources.

Opponents and proposed fixes: Anne Hedges of the Montana Environmental Information Center said she agreed Montana needs planning but urged changes to ensure balanced representation and guardrails against conflicts of interest. Hedges proposed adding small‑business representation, separate transmission and generation experts, nonprofit or public‑interest members and limiting the authority’s ability to accept private funds. “If you start having private entities giving gobs of money to this energy authority saying, ‘hey, you guys should really pick my project,’ I think that sets us up for at least questioning whether this committee is making good choices,” she said. Hedges also suggested a six‑year sunset review so the state can reassess the authority’s performance.

Support from labor and developers: The Montana Renewable Energy Association (represented by McKenna Sellers) and several construction and trades unions testified in support, saying coordinated planning would create Montana jobs and assist transmission build‑out. Sellers encouraged the authority to consider distributed energy resources and distributed capacity procurement in addition to large transmission projects.

Technical and regulatory questions: Trevor Graff of the Montana Public Service Commission and Ben Brouwer, Energy Bureau Chief at DEQ, answered committee questions about overlap, saying the authority would coordinate with existing regulatory bodies and that regulated investor‑owned utilities would remain under PSC jurisdiction. Representative Griffith asked why the draft did not require an attorney on a quasi‑judicial board; the sponsor said that omission was not intentional and the committee could address it.

What’s next: The hearing closed with the committee thanking witnesses and the sponsor. The fiscal note was expected to arrive the next day; the sponsor said the committee would wait for that analysis before moving to executive action.