Gov. Greg Gianforte's office announced Thursday that it is accepting public comment through August 20th on five candidates who have applied to serve in place of Public Service Commissioner Brad Molnar, who was temporarily suspended from office by the governor.
The five applicants include Kirk Bushman of House District — along with four others whose full details were included in the governor's announcement. One of the candidates is a former Montana Public Service Commissioner, which would bring direct regulatory experience to a seat that oversees utility rates and services for Montana consumers, including the roughly 35,000 electric customers served by NorthWestern Energy in the Helena area.
The PSC is a five-member elected board that regulates investor-owned utilities, telecommunications, and other public services in Montana. Molnar, who represents District 5, was suspended by Gianforte — a move that itself generated significant attention given the rarity of such action against an elected commissioner. The appointment process for a temporary replacement is now formally underway.
Helena residents and others served by regulated utilities have until August 20th to submit comment to the governor's office on the applicants. The PSC's decisions on rate cases and energy infrastructure directly affect household utility bills, making the composition of the commission a practical concern for anyone who pays a NorthWestern Energy or Montana-Dakota Utilities bill.