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Energy, environment, public lands, and utilities
Candidate positionPattison pledges to fight unnecessary rate hikes and ensure seniors, veterans, and working families aren’t priced out of reliable energy service.
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Pattison pledges to fight unnecessary rate hikes and ensure seniors, veterans, and working families aren’t priced out of reliable energy service.
Energy, environment, public lands, and utilities
Candidate positionPattison supports extending pipelines and infrastructure so more homes and businesses in rural Montana can access affordable energy options.
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Pattison supports extending pipelines and infrastructure so more homes and businesses in rural Montana can access affordable energy options.
Taxes, economy, workers, agriculture, and affordability
Candidate positionPattison will push for rate-case reform to ensure urban and rural customers pay their fair share without cross-subsidizing.
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Pattison will push for rate-case reform to ensure urban and rural customers pay their fair share without cross-subsidizing.
Energy, environment, public lands, and utilities
Candidate positionThe Public Service Commission shapes how Montana keeps energy reliable, affordable, and fair. Jeff Pattison will bring accountability and real-world experience to protect ratepayers and strengthen our energy future.
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The Public Service Commission shapes how Montana keeps energy reliable, affordable, and fair. Jeff Pattison will bring accountability and real-world experience to protect ratepayers and strengthen our energy future.
Energy, environment, public lands, and utilities
Candidate positionPattison supports modernizing transmission lines, expanding natural gas access, and improving broadband reliability so no community is left behind during outages.
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Pattison supports modernizing transmission lines, expanding natural gas access, and improving broadband reliability so no community is left behind during outages.
Energy, environment, public lands, and utilities
Candidate positionInvesting in clean coal, efficient gas, modern hydro, and breakthrough carbon capture. Montana must never be written out of the energy future.
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Investing in clean coal, efficient gas, modern hydro, and breakthrough carbon capture. Montana must never be written out of the energy future.
Transportation, infrastructure, and connectivity
Candidate positionPattison advocates for last-mile transmission improvements so farms and ranches aren’t the first to experience blackouts or brownouts.
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Pattison advocates for last-mile transmission improvements so farms and ranches aren’t the first to experience blackouts or brownouts.
Energy, environment, public lands, and utilities
Candidate positionJeff believes ratepayers deserve open PSC hearings, clear billing, and honest communication from utilities. Accountability starts with transparency.
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Jeff believes ratepayers deserve open PSC hearings, clear billing, and honest communication from utilities. Accountability starts with transparency.
Energy, environment, public lands, and utilities
Candidate positionMontana’s energy mix must stay balanced with clean coal, natural gas, hydro, renewables, and new technology working together to keep energy reliable and affordable.
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Montana’s energy mix must stay balanced with clean coal, natural gas, hydro, renewables, and new technology working together to keep energy reliable and affordable.
Montana’s Energy Future & Ratepayer Protection
Candidate positionPattison will face a primary challenger in the Republican primary election on June 2, 2026, ahead of the general election on November 3, 2026.
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Pattison will face a primary challenger in the Republican primary election on June 2, 2026, ahead of the general election on November 3, 2026.
Building a Reliable, Affordable, and Accountable Energy Future for Montana
Candidate positionJeff Pattison believes Montana’s energy future depends on balance, responsibility, and leadership rooted in local values. His mission is to protect ratepayers, strengthen rural infrastructure, and ensure every community has access to reliable and affordable power.
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Jeff Pattison believes Montana’s energy future depends on balance, responsibility, and leadership rooted in local values. His mission is to protect ratepayers, strengthen rural infrastructure, and ensure every community has access to reliable and affordable power.
Jeff Pattison’s Energy Commitments
Candidate positionCreate a separate tariff for data centers and large industrial loads so families aren’t subsidizing them.
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Create a separate tariff for data centers and large industrial loads so families aren’t subsidizing them.
Voices and Vision for Montana
Candidate positionGoal / PriorityPROTECTING RATEPAYERS WHILE KEEPING UTILITIES STRONG AND RELIABLE – MONTANA
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PROTECTING RATEPAYERS WHILE KEEPING UTILITIES STRONG AND RELIABLE – MONTANA
Montana’s Energy Future & Ratepayer Protection
Candidate positionGoal / PriorityMontana is an energy-rich state, and with smart leadership, we can secure affordable, reliable power for generations to come.
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Montana is an energy-rich state, and with smart leadership, we can secure affordable, reliable power for generations to come.
FULL COST RESPONSIBILITY
Candidate positionBeliefLarge data centers must pay the full cost of the infrastructure they require, including transmission lines, substations, generation upgrades, grid hardening, and system protection. This protects existing customers while ensuring utilities are fully compensated for prudent investments.
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Large data centers must pay the full cost of the infrastructure they require, including transmission lines, substations, generation upgrades, grid hardening, and system protection. This protects existing customers while ensuring utilities are fully compensated for prudent investments.
FAIR AND TRANSPARENT RATE STRUCTURES
Candidate positionBeliefData centers must be placed in separate, transparent rate classes that reflect their true demand on Montana’s grid, while keeping residential and small business customers protected from industrial cost pressures.
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Data centers must be placed in separate, transparent rate classes that reflect their true demand on Montana’s grid, while keeping residential and small business customers protected from industrial cost pressures.
LONG-TERM RATEPAYER AND UTILITY PROTECTION
Candidate positionBeliefCorporations must provide financial security to protect both customers and utilities from stranded infrastructure if facilities close, relocate, or significantly reduce usage.
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Corporations must provide financial security to protect both customers and utilities from stranded infrastructure if facilities close, relocate, or significantly reduce usage.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Candidate positionBeliefIf a corporation requires city-sized power and town-sized water, it must pay city-sized and town-sized costs—so Montana utilities can remain strong, resilient, and modern, and Montana ratepayers can remain protected.
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If a corporation requires city-sized power and town-sized water, it must pay city-sized and town-sized costs—so Montana utilities can remain strong, resilient, and modern, and Montana ratepayers can remain protected.
Protecting Ratepayers from Hidden Costs
Candidate positionBeliefWho pays for new infrastructure needed by large corporate loads? My position is simple: the customer causing the cost must pay the cost. Not families. Not farmers. Not seniors.
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Who pays for new infrastructure needed by large corporate loads? My position is simple: the customer causing the cost must pay the cost. Not families. Not farmers. Not seniors.
Building a Reliable, Affordable, and Accountable Energy Future for Montana
Candidate positionBeliefProtect and Empower Montana Communities
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Protect and Empower Montana Communities
Full Cost Responsibility
Candidate positionFactVote summary · PolicyWould require large data centers to pay the full cost of the electric infrastructure their demand requires.
- The campaign specifically includes transmission lines, substations, generation upgrades, grid hardening, and system protection.
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Full Cost Responsibility
Fair and Transparent Rate Structures
Candidate positionFactVote summary · PolicyWould place data centers in separate, transparent utility rate classes that reflect their demand on Montana's grid.
- The stated purpose is to prevent residential and small-business customers from subsidizing industrial loads.
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Fair and Transparent Rate Structures
Water Protection and Long-Term Supply Security
Candidate positionFactVote summary · PolicyWould require large water users to contribute to water-system upgrades, conservation programs, reuse infrastructure, and long-term supply protection.
- The campaign emphasizes drought-prone basins and agricultural regions.
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Water Protection and Long-Term Supply Security
Grid Reliability and System Resilience
Candidate positionFactVote summary · PolicyWould require new large electric loads to meet curtailment and emergency-reliability requirements.
- The proposal is intended to preserve stable service during peak demand, extreme cold, extreme heat, and wildfire-smoke events.
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Grid Reliability and System Resilience
Long-Term Ratepayer and Utility Protection
Candidate positionFactVote summary · PolicyWould require large corporate utility customers to provide financial security against stranded infrastructure if they close, relocate, or sharply reduce usage.
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Long-Term Ratepayer and Utility Protection
Hydro — Montana's Backbone
Candidate positionFactVote summary · PolicySupports protecting and modernizing Montana's hydropower fleet to preserve long-term affordability and grid reliability.
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Hydro — Montana's Backbone
Coal — Reliability & Economic Base
Candidate positionFactVote summary · PolicySupports modernizing existing coal units when cost-effective, extending reliable legacy generation, and protecting workers and local economies during energy transitions.
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Coal — Reliability & Economic Base
Nuclear — A Future Option for Montana
Candidate positionFactVote summary · PolicySupports planning and evaluation for small modular nuclear reactors as a possible future source of dispatchable power.
- The campaign says Montana should determine whether nuclear fits its cost and reliability goals and notes the potential to reuse existing coal sites.
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Nuclear — A Future Option for Montana
Transparency & Accountability from Utilities
Candidate positionFactVote summary · PolicyWould require utilities to publicly disclose major-load contracts and letters of intent and provide information about how major projects affect customer bills.
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Transparency & Accountability from Utilities
Protecting Montana's Electric Cooperatives
Candidate positionFactVote summary · PolicySupports fair wholesale rates for electric cooperatives, local-first grid investments, access to new generation, stronger PSC transparency oversight, and reliable baseload power.
- The campaign says co-ops should not subsidize large industrial customers or data centers.
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Protecting Montana's Electric Cooperatives
Affordable Energy Protections
Candidate positionFactVote summary · PolicySupports keeping utility rates affordable through efficiency programs, lifeline protections, and responsible long-term planning.
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Affordable Energy Protections
Strengthen Rural Infrastructure
Candidate positionFactVote summary · PolicySupports stronger rural transmission, expanded natural-gas access, and improved broadband reliability so rural communities have dependable infrastructure.
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Strengthen Rural Infrastructure
