Northwestern Energy is hurting Montanans | Dr. Lori Byron

I am a pediatrician who has practiced in rural Montana for over 35 years. I also have a recent Masters of Science degree in Energy Policy from Johns Hopkins. I also organize pediatricians representing every state in the United States that work on environmental issues for their states for the American Academy of Pediatrics.

One thing we know as pediatricians are that many families are just scraping by — more now that in my 40 years of practicing as a pediatrician. As of 2023, about 1/4 to 1/3 of households, 23 million households, were energy insecure, meaning they did without food or medicine to pay energy bills. Energy insecurity is actually directly related to a family’s health. I have many times had families tell me they choose between their energy bills, their child’s medicine, and their family’s food. What would you choose?

I continually hear from the nationwide group of pediatricians about other monopoly utilities that are working toward 100% renewables — I will note that their customers’ lights are still on and they are not cold in the winter, and their costs are almost always lower. And their utility companies are not going bankrupt. I have not ever heard from this collective of pediatrician experts that energy supply is unreliable. Many of these other utilities have also embraced energy efficiency which has been called the “cheapest energy you will ever use”, and the easiest way to help account for the increased need for energy; this has not been addressed in Montana substantively at all. Other monopolies and the PSC’s regulating them look out for their customers, and for the economies of their states; the utilities themselves do not need looking out for; what other business is guaranteed a 10% or more profit even during recessions!

NWE is hurting their customers right now with these high rates and the unnecessary pollution created by intentionally avoiding renewables and choosing to prioritize a dinosaur method of energy instead (that brings more profit. They are also hurting the future of Montana. Transitioning to cheaper and safer sources of energy will also help the future economy of Montana by creating permanent jobs, at similar salaries to coal-fired power plant employees and more employees are needed for wind and solar than for coal and gas plants.

Your important commission has already called out Northwestern for not showing you or the public their calculations in their most recent Resource Procurement Plan.

Please protect our families and our children, Montana PSC. They are our future.