MT PSC Announces 5.63 Percent Decrease in Bills for Typical NorthWestern Energy Customers

The Montana Public Service Commission (PSC) announced that effective today, a typical NorthWestern Energy residential electric customer using 750 kilowatt-hours per month will see a decrease of $6.13 or 5.57% of their monthly electric bill. The decrease comes due to a recent submission to the PSC of NorthWestern’s Annual Power Costs and Credits Adjustment Mechanism (PCCAM).

PSC Vice President Jennifer Fielder noted, “This decrease brings welcome relief for Montanans. It’s always a good feeling when we are able to reduce energy costs for consumers.”

Actual costs for the July 2023-June 2024 tracker period were $219,709,230. The annual adjustment and prior period deferred balance resulted in an over-collection of $1,482,277. The substantial decrease is due to an under-collected balance of $17,545,388 from the prior tracking period dropping off the 2023-2024 tracker adjustment.

Additionally, Northwestern submitted its quarterly update for the first quarter of the July 2024-June 2025 tracker period. This filing included one month of actual data and 11 months of estimates, and results in an over-collection of $525,319. The result from this adjustment will mean a typical residential customer using 750 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month will see a decrease of $0.06 per month or 0.06% of their monthly bill. This decrease became effective October 1, 2024.

Taken together, the PCCAM rate adjustments effective today will bring down the average NorthWestern residential customers’ electric bill by $6.19 or 5.63%.

PSC President James Brown said of the adjustments, “This reduction in the energy bills of NorthWestern’s residential electric customers is welcome news at a time when many Montanans have been struggling under the last three years of rising prices on everything from housing to gasoline to groceries. This rate reduction will ease residential electric bills and provide some relief at a time when so many Montanans are struggling to make ends meet.”

The Commission regulates private investor-owned natural gas, electric, telephone, water, and sewer companies, certain motor carriers, and oversees natural gas pipeline safety and intrastate railroad safety. The Commission works to ensure that Montanans receive safe and reliable service from regulated public utilities while paying reasonable rates.

For more information, visit psc.mt.gov or contact the Commission at 1-800-646-6150. Follow the Commission at Twitter.com/@MT_PSC or visit Facebook.com/MontanaPSC.