Montana Code Annotated 2023

TITLE 69. PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS

CHAPTER 3. REGULATION OF UTILITIES

Part 12. Integrated Least-Cost Resource Planning and Acquisition Act

Rate Treatment

69-3-1206. Rate treatment. (1) The commission may include in a public utility's rates:

(a) the cost of resources acquired in accordance with a plan;

(b) demand-side management programs established and implemented in accordance with 69-3-1209;

(c) the cost-effective expenditures for improving the efficiency with which the public utility provides and its customers use utility services;

(d) the costs of complying with the planning requirements of this part; and

(e) the costs of complying with a competitive solicitation process conducted in accordance with 69-3-1207.

(2) The commission may adopt rules establishing criteria governing the extent of recovery of abandonment costs.

(3) The commission may not approve a bonus or adder in the cost of a new resource acquired after April 28, 2021, to provide additional compensation for costs such as environmental externalities unless the bonus or adder is necessary to compensate for a real and actual cost required by existing regulation or existing law.

History: En. Sec. 6, Ch. 157, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 14, Ch. 449, L. 2019; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 300, L. 2021.