Montana § 69-3-1210 - Independent Evaluator Role

§ 69-3-1210. Independent Evaluator Role

Independent evaluator role. (1) The independent evaluator shall oversee the competitive solicitation conducted by the public utility to protect the public interest and advance the policies in 69-3-1202 . (2) The independent evaluator shall: (a) provide comments to the public utility and the commission on the fairness, transparency, and consistency of a competitive solicitation process with industry standards; (b) monitor, evaluate, and observe the competitive solicitation process, paying particular attention to the public utility's evaluation of electric supply resources that may result in utility ownership of the resource to ensure that the utility conducts a fair and proper process in accordance with industry standards; (c) notify the utility and the commission on a timely basis prior to the utility selection of the resources of any discrepancies observed in the process and resolve any differences of opinion; and (d) prepare a closing report prior to the final selection of the resources regarding the fairness, transparency, and consistency of the process, including selection and notification of electricity supply resources taking part in the solicitation process based on industry standards. Public utilities shall include the closing report in applications for future cost-recovery dockets. The closing report must be made available to the public. (3) The commission shall grant the independent evaluator the right of intervention in future cost-recovery proceedings for the purpose of entering the closing report into the evidentiary record during discovery and hearings.