Montana PSC adopts annual plan and drops "performance" from title

The Montana Public Service Commission voted unanimously on Sept. 8 to adopt its fiscal 2027 annual plan and allow staff to make non‑substantive edits.

Vice President Felder moved that the commission "adopt the annual plan and allow staff to make non substantive edit as necessary. And, and it would be titled the annual plan instead of the performance plan." Staff had presented the draft plan during a work session and recommended approval with only editorial changes. Tina Shorten, the commission's regulatory compliance supervisor, told commissioners the plan fulfills Montana Code Annotated 2‑12‑104’s requirement that departments publish an annual plan describing functions, priorities and measurable performance measures and then follow up with a performance report the next October.

Commissioners discussed how the new annual document relates to the commission’s strategic plan and the recently changed statutory timetable. Vice President Felder said the retitling clarifies the difference between a planning document and the separate performance report the commission must produce. The motion was seconded and the chair called for the vote; commissioners voted "aye" and the motion passed unanimously.

The adopted plan will be posted on the department’s website as required by statute, and staff are authorized to finalize the text with non‑substantive edits before publication. No amendments to the content were approved at the meeting.