Montana Voters Pick Who Sets Data Center Power Rates
The November 3 Public Service Commission race will shape how the state prices grid power as large data centers come online.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Data Centers
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Should data centers pay higher electricity rates than ordinary households in your area?
Voters in Montana's District 1 will choose a Public Service Commission member on November 3, between Republican Jeff Pattison and Democrat Angeline Cheek. The seat is being vacated by term-limited Republican Randy Pinocci, who has overseen the district for eight years.
Why it matters
The race arrives as Quantica Infrastructure begins staging construction of its Big Sky Digital Infrastructure Campus in Broadview, 30 miles northwest of Billings, a facility that will require 1,100 MW to operate. Energy demand from data centers is straining grids and raising costs for ordinary ratepayers, and the next commissioner will oversee how utilities handle that load.
The key measured figure is that the single planned data center needs 1,100 MW, which exceeds NorthWestern Energy's average daily peak load of roughly 760 MW. The source does not describe how the commission will evaluate that demand, and the outcome of the race remains unknown until the vote is counted.
The players
Angeline Cheek
Democratic candidate who has worked with the ACLU and on Indigenous advocacy and community organizing across Montana.
Randy Pinocci
Term-limited Republican who has overseen District 1 for eight years and lost a June GOP primary for a state senate seat.
Quantica Infrastructure
Developer staging construction of the Big Sky Digital Infrastructure Campus in Broadview, Montana.
NorthWestern Energy
Montana utility whose average daily peak load is about 760 MW and that has agreed to supply a data center at a below-residential rate.
The details
The Public Service Commission is a five-member body that regulates utilities, including energy and internet access, and its District 1 seat covers 20 state house districts. Data centers that run AI and cloud computing draw heavy electricity and water, so a single facility of Quantica's planned size can shift how a regional grid is loaded and priced. NorthWestern Energy has reached a deal to supply one data center at a rate below what residential ratepayers pay.
Timeline
June: Pinocci lost the GOP primary for a state senate seat.
November 3: Election Day for the PSC District 1 seat.
Next year: The winning candidate takes a seat on the commission.
The Tech Race
Quantica's planned 1,100 MW campus is set against NorthWestern Energy's roughly 760 MW average daily peak, a comparison that frames the data center buildout as a grid-scale question. The Montana contest is one of the state-level regulatory decisions that will determine how fast such facilities can connect.
Montana ratepayers will be affected by how the commission regulates utility costs as large data center loads come online. The new commissioner's position on rate arrangements for facilities like the Broadview campus will shape what residential customers pay, though the stub does not provide a timeline for any rate change.
The takeaway
Watch the November 3 District 1 vote, since the winner will oversee how Montana prices and approves power for facilities that need 1,100 MW. Track whether the commission addresses the NorthWestern Energy rate arrangement with the data center in its first year.
What happens next
Election Day is November 3, when voters choose the District 1 commissioner, and the winner takes a seat on the commission next year.
Further reading
For background on the infrastructure behind this race, see Data Centers coverage in Montana.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Missoulian.
Live Poll
Should data centers pay higher electricity rates than ordinary households in your area?
