Montana’s Public Service Commission is holding a public listening session in Havre Monday, October 30.
The regulatory body says it wants to identify opportunities for NorthWestern Energy to improve its incident response and communications with customers in the wake of widespread power outages across the Hi-Line earlier this month.
The PSC is also interested in hearing how the public feels about Northwestern’s efforts to restore power during what the PSC calls “one of the worst power outages in recent memory.”
Heavy snows and winds knocked out power to as many as 9,500 customers on October 2 and 3 in a 90 mile stretch from Havre to Malta. Some customers were left without electricity for a week or more.
The listening session will include a brief presentation from Northwestern representatives on the company’s restoration efforts, followed by public comment, and questions from PSC commissioners and staff.