The Montana Public Service Commission voted to approve an interim rate reduction of 7.24% for NorthWestern Energy’s residential electric customers Tuesday. It translates into a reduction of $7.96 for the typical residential customer using 750 kilowatt-hours a month. The bulk of the electricity rate reduction was due to a reduction over time to costs related to procuring energy sufficient to meet the utility’s customer demand which is reflected in the Power Costs and Credits Adjustment Mechanism base rates.
U.S. Census data shows between 2018 and 2022 nearly 50,000 people moved to Montana drawn in part to the Treasure State by what some observers conclude is the television series “Yellowstone.” As builders and developers have scrambled to meet all these newcomers’ demand for housing they’ve had some success increasing the number of housing units added annually but a new forecast suggests the task of meeting the state’s housing needs will only get more difficult in the coming years.
Montana Secretary of State Republican Christi Jacobsen emailed Cascade County commissioners in February while they were considering candidates for the elections administrator position and urged them not to hire Democrat Rina Fontana Moore or any member of her administration. An investigator from the Montana Department of Labor and Industry’s Human Rights Bureau recently concluded reasonable cause existed to support Fontana Moore’s allegation of political discrimination.
The Montana River Recreational Advisory Council is recommending that Fish Wildlife and Parks develops a statewide river recreation management plan to reflect the current situation. It would include incorporating its planning manual along with existing rules and hiring additional personnel to meet management needs. The proposals are now available and comment for the public to weigh in on until December 23rd.
President-elect Donald Trump reportedly plans to revive the Keystone XL pipeline. Trump initially approved the 1,200-mile Canada-to-Nebraska project through Montana in 2017 reversing then-President Obama’s decision to reject the project. President Biden revoked Trump’s decision and canceled the pipeline’s permits effectively shutting the project down. TC Energy the pipeline network operator ultimately gave up on the project in June 2021 as a result of Biden’s decision.
Governor Greg Gianforte and the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation announced the launch of a new interactive public access map Tuesday designed to enhance outdoor recreation activities on state trust lands for Montanans. A conservation license is required to recreate on state trust lands. Funds from the license benefits state trust land beneficiaries such as K through 12 schools.
An all-new PRCA pro rodeo will begin in Billings at the 2025 MontanaFair in an all-new outdoor arena at MetraPark. Rodeo Billings will take center stage as the first event in the newest outdoor arena in Montana next August 14th through the 16th. Soon NILE which produces the oldest rodeo in Billings will be announcing an all-new rodeo type of entertainment package for the annual October NILE event in 2025.
As Montanans prepare for their holiday meals a recent survey by Action Network has revealed the Treasure State ranks second in the nation for the best bargain turkeys. Residents spend an average of $17.79 on their Thanksgiving turkeys. Wyoming tops the list with the cheapest turkeys costing $17.75 on average.
A new University of Montana partnership is looking at “sustainable, community-driven solutions” to expanding the workforce in the Bitterroot Valley as part of a selective national initiative run by the nonprofit CivicLab. The program is piloting a health care pathways program to help supplement gaps in medical care and to expand access to affordable housing and childcare to help with worker retention.
The Libby City Council weighed safety improvements to the downtown drag in a meeting recently including more stop signs on Mineral Avenue or a drop in the speed limit. Another issue was that diagonal parking in that area makes it hard for people to see when they are backing out of the spaces. Also talked about were the failure of motorists to stop at the crosswalks at the intersection of Fourth Street and Mineral Avenue.
