PSC defers Black Hills Power wildfire plan, directs utilities to provide Montana‑specific costs and maps

Staff presented Black Hills Power’s wildfire mitigation plan and recommended approval while noting that Black Hills submitted limited Montana‑specific data (about 45 customers and roughly 80 miles of line in Montana). Staff emphasized plan elements required by statute and said a broad interpretation of subsection (g) had been applied for these first‑round filings.

Several commissioners pressed staff and legal counsel about whether Black Hills satisfied the statutory requirement to include estimated incremental costs for wildfire‑specific activities and whether the plan identified Montana facilities that might be subject to heightened fire risk. Vice President Felder moved the commission “to defer this work session to a later date, revise the notice of commission action to identify the deficiencies, which include the omission of estimated incremental costs under MCA subsection (g) and Montana specific facility data under part (a).” The motion was seconded and carried with three votes in favor and one abstention.

The formal action was recorded as a motion to defer and revise the NCA; commissioners asked staff and interested commissioners to work on precise language to request either an addendum or an amended plan that provides Montana facility mapping and at least an estimated incremental cost or an explanation of why incremental costs are zero. The commission did not approve the plan on Aug. 11 and will revisit it after the utility supplements the filing.