Legals for July, 26 2024

NO. 30557 DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE REGULATION BEFORE THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF MONTANA In re NorthWestern Energy’s Application to Increase Retail Electric and Natural Gas Utility Service Rates and for Approval of Service Schedules, Cost Allocation, and Rate Design  Docket 2024.05.053 July 23, 2024 Notice of Application and Intervention Deadline 1. On July 10, 2024, NorthWestern Corporation d/b/a NorthWestern Energy (“NorthWestern”) filed with the Montana Public Service Commission (“Commission”) an application to revise its electric and natural gas service rates, service schedules, cost allocation, and rate design (“Application”). In the application, NorthWestern proposes to raise rates for electric service by $69,391,520, of which $156,503,585 reflects an increase to NorthWestern’s base revenue requirements, $(94,522,047) reflects a decrease to supply costs passed through to customers, and $7,409,982 reflects updated property taxes. For natural gas service, NorthWestern proposes to raise rates by $28,875,417, of which $28,633,763 reflects an increase to NorthWestern’s base revenue requirements, and $241,654 reflects updated property taxes. NorthWestern also seeks to begin recovering costs for the Yellowstone County Generating Station (“YCGS”). NorthWestern asks the Commission to find NorthWestern’s investment in YCGS prudent and in the public interest. NorthWestern further asks the Commission to find that it is just and reasonable to include the costs of YCGS in customers’ rates. 2. For electric service, NorthWestern estimates the total impact of its rate request, including costs associated with YCGS, will be an increase of $9.11, or 8.28%, in the monthly bill for residential electric customers using an average of 750 kilowatt-hours per month. For natural gas service, NorthWestern estimates the total impact of its request will be an increase of $8.84, or 16.98%, in the monthly bill for residential customers using an average of 65 therms per month. 3. NorthWestern has also requested an interim rate adjustment and “bridge rate” while its Application is pending. In its interim application, NorthWestern proposes to raise rates for electric service by $21,967,873, of which $50,609,797 reflects an increase to NorthWestern’s base revenue requirements, $(94,522,047) reflects a decrease to power supply costs that NorthWestern flows through to customers, $58,470,142 reflects a “bridge rate” that NorthWestern proposes to recover due to YCGS’s energy and capacity benefits, and $7,409,982 reflects updated property taxes. For natural gas service, NorthWestern requests an increase of $21,612,927, of which $21,371,273 reflects an increase to NorthWestern’s base revenue requirements, and $241,654 reflects updated property taxes. 4. For electric service, NorthWestern’s proposed interim adjustment would raise the monthly bill for residential customers using an average of 750 kilowatt-hours per month by $2.09 or 1.9%. For natural gas service, NorthWestern’s proposed interim adjustment would raise the monthly bill for residential customers using an average of 65 therms per month by $4.81 or 9.28%.  5. NorthWestern’s Application includes costs that NorthWestern asserts are known and measurable changes through December 31, 2024. Since the last rate review, NorthWestern asserts that it is expected to invest and place into service over $1 billion in electric and natural gas facilities by the end of 2024. NorthWestern’s Application also requests a waiver of Commission rules to allow NorthWestern to adjust rates for future wildfire mitigation costs, business technology costs, and compliance costs associated with the Colstrip Generating Station. 6. A copy of NorthWestern’s filing is publicly available at the Commission’s business office, 1701 Prospect Avenue, Helena, MT 59601, and online at the Commission’s website (psc.mt.gov) under Docket No. 2024.05.053. A copy of the filing may also be available at the office of the MCC, which represents consumer interests before the Commission, 111 North Last Chance Gulch, Suite 1B, Helena, MT 59601, (406) 444-2771. Interested parties can register on the Commission’s website to receive notice of future filings in this docket. Instructions for subscribing to notices of filings are available at psc.mt.gov/reddi-help. 7. The Commission invites any interested party affected by NorthWestern’s filing to intervene in this docket. To intervene, a party must file a petition to intervene with the Commission no later than August 14, 2024. A party seeking intervention must file an electronic petition on the Commission’s website at reddi.mt.gov. All filings must be made in REDDI and hard copies are not required. A party seeking intervention must also mail a copy of the petition to MCC at P.O. Box 201703, Helena, MT 59620, and to NorthWestern’s attorneys, Shannon M. Heim and Sarah N. Norcott, 208 N. Montana Ave. Suite 200, Helena MT 59601. 8. The Commission invites members of the public who do not wish to formally intervene to submit written public comments on the matter to the Commission at 1701 Prospect Avenue, P.O. Box 202601, Helena, MT 59620, or by email to pschelp@mt.gov. Public comment may also be submitted in REDDI. Instructions for submitting public comments in REDDI are available at psc.mt.gov/reddi-help (select “Submit a Public Comment”). All comments received will be public records. Personal or private information should not be included in comments. 9. The Commission’s jurisdiction over this matter is provided in Title 69 and Title 2, Chapter 4 of the Montana Code Annotated; Title 38, Chapters 2 and 5 of the Montana Administrative Rules; and any prior orders of the Commission relevant to the issues presented. DONE and DATED July 23, 2024, by the Montana Public Service Commission through delegation to staff.  JAMES BROWN, President JENNIFER FIELDER, Vice President TONY O’DONNELL, Commissioner RANDALL PINOCCI, Commissioner DR. ANNIE BUKACEK, Commissioner July 26, 2024 MNAXLP __________________________