Citing newspaper op-eds, judge finds Montana utility regulators biased against solar development

HELENA — A state district court judge has concluded that Montana’s Republican-controlled utility commission violated the due process rights of a solar energy company, writing that newspaper guest columns published by commissioners as a rate case was pending constitute evidence of bias.

In a June 18 ruling in a suit over the MTSUN project, an 80-megawatt solar farm proposed near Billings, Judge James Manley of Polson agreed with solar advocates who complained they weren’t getting fair treatment from the commission.

By Eric Dietrich