Montana Voters Pick PSC District 1 Seat to Ease Data Strain
Republican Jeff Pattison and Democrat Angeline Cheek compete for the seat as a Broadview data center plans to draw 1,100 megawatts.
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?
Montana's Public Service Commission District 1 seat will be decided on November 3 between Republican Jeff Pattison and Democrat Angeline Cheek. The seat opens as term-limited Republican Randy Pinocci steps down after eight years overseeing the district.
Why it matters
The commission regulates utilities, and the winner will face energy questions tied to Quantica Infrastructure's planned Big Sky Digital Infrastructure Campus. Data centers' electricity and water demands are driving up utility costs and straining grids for ordinary ratepayers.
The Broadview campus would require 1,100 megawatts, more than the 760 MW average daily peak load of utility NorthWestern Energy. The source does not specify how that demand will be met.
The players
Randy Pinocci
Pinocci is a term-limited Republican who has overseen Montana's Public Service Commission District 1 for eight years.
NorthWestern Energy
NorthWestern Energy is a Montana utility whose power supply is now being weighed against large data center demand.
The details
Quantica Infrastructure has begun staging construction of its Big Sky Digital Infrastructure Campus in Broadview, 30 miles northwest of Billings. Pattison and Cheek will compete for a commission that regulates energy and internet access across a district spanning 20 state house districts.
Timeline
June: Pinocci lost the GOP primary for a state senate seat.
November 3: Election Day for the District 1 Public Service Commission seat.
Next year: The new commissioner takes a seat on the commission.
Big Picture
Data centers are reshaping state utility politics as AI and cloud computing push electricity demand past what local grids were built to carry. Montana's District 1 race reflects that shift, since the commission's decisions will shape how these loads are priced and served.
Commission decisions on how data center loads are priced can affect what Montana ratepayers pay for their own electricity. The extraction notes that NorthWestern Energy has already agreed to supply one data center at a rate below what ratepayers pay for their homes.
The takeaway
Voters in Montana's District 1 are choosing a regulator at a moment when data center demand is testing how electricity costs are shared. Following how the commission handles these large loads will show whether ordinary ratepayers are protected.
What happens next
Election Day is November 3, when voters decide the District 1 seat; the winner takes office next year.
Further reading
For related coverage, explore Data Centers reporting on how facilities like this one are affecting power grids.
Live Poll
Should data centers pay higher electricity rates than ordinary households in your area?
