69-9-102. Purpose. The legislature finds and declares that:
     (1) the economic viability and security of the state of Montana is directly linked to reliable and affordable electrical energy;
     (2) electrical energy has become a basic and irreplaceable necessity that impacts the public health, safety, and welfare of all Montana citizens;
     (3) Montana's residential, agricultural, governmental, commercial, and industrial consumers of electrical energy are entitled to cost-based prices for electrical energy; and
     (4) it is in the public interest that the Montana power authority have the ability to:
     (a) purchase electrical energy from any supplier in the wholesale market for the purpose of providing reliable, cost-based power exclusively to Montana consumers;
     (b) construct, acquire, or enter into joint ventures to construct or acquire electrical generation facilities that will provide cost-based power to consumers in Montana;
     (c) construct, acquire, or enter into joint ventures to construct or acquire electrical energy transmission or distribution systems;
     (d) sell electrical energy to a default supplier and to any municipal utility, cooperative utility, or investor-owned utility that serves Montana customers;
     (e) contract with public or private entities for the operation and maintenance of state-owned power facilities; and
     (f) encourage and support energy conservation to mitigate consumer costs and detrimental impacts on the environment.

     History: En. Sec. 21, Ch. 577, L. 2001.