Here is a part of your power bill almost nobody knows about.

Utilities pay property taxes on their power plants, lines, and substations, just like a family pays on a house. When a utility’s property taxes change, Montana law lets the utility pass that change straight through to customer bills, up or down, automatically. The Public Service Commission, the board we elect to protect ratepayers, does not review it first.

It is called the tax tracker.

Why it matters to the Heights

Sometimes the tracker works in customers’ favor. In 2024, when NorthWestern’s property taxes fell, it lowered the typical electric bill by about $6.95 a month.

It works the other way just as easily. Whenever the Legislature shifts property taxes around, any increase that lands on utility property can show up on the same families’ power bills a few months later, with nobody checking whether the number is right. Relief on the tax bill can quietly come back on the utility bill.

That matters more every year. Families in the Heights are already watching their power bills, and the largest data centers proposed in Montana will require new plants and new lines, which means more utility property on the tax rolls.

What I’ll push for in Helena

Close the tax tracker loophole. Any change to your power bill, including tax changes, should get a public review at the Public Service Commission first. The commission already reviews rate increases. Taxes passed through to customers deserve the same look.

I gave this answer in the Billings Gazette voter guide when it asked whether the Legislature should revisit last session’s property tax package. For more on making relief reach every household, see Go Check Your Homestead Enrollment.

Property tax relief should stay relief.

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