The all-Republican Montana Public Service Commission on Tuesday unanimously denied a request that it take the harms of climate change into account when conducting its regulatory work.

The petition, filed in February 2024 by more than 40 organizations and businesses, asked the Public Service Commission (PSC) to formally acknowledge that it must consider climate change impacts under both the Montana Constitution and Montana statute when making its decisions. In April 2024, the PSC heard testimony from more than 80 public commenters on the matter.

The PSC — which is responsible for regulating monopoly power companies in the state — denied that request under both state statute and the state Constitution at the recommendation of agency staff. The decision comes on the heels of the landmark He

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