Susan Bilo
Active candidates for Public Service Commission (Seat 2)
Republican
Democrat
Bilo, 62 as of Election Day, is a former energy specialist with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory who teaches courses related to energy-efficient and renewable energy technologies at Gallatin College in Bozeman.
Bilo said she is committed to using the technologies she explains to the students enrolled in the workforce training courses she teaches.
“I walk my talk,” she said. “My home is energy- and water-efficient and is powered by a 3.6-kilowatt solar electric/photovoltaic system that produces all the electricity for home and my electric vehicle. I use the system to educate and inform my students, neighbors and participants of the American Solar Energy Society’s Tour of Solar Homes.”
Bilo said she is running “because Montana’s hard-working citizens deserve better representation on the PSC.”
The commission can address climate change and the harmful effects of pollution generated by fossil fuel energy sources by giving renewable energy projects “fair and due consideration,” Bilo said. If elected, Bilo said she would use her knowledge of both the electricity grid and efficiency measures on “both sides of the meter” to help the commission bring down regulated utility customers’ rates.
This biography is based on an MTFP interview with Bilo and Bilo’s response to MTFP’s questionnaire.
ON THE ISSUES
Answers here were solicited from candidates via a written questionnaire conducted by MTFP in April 2024. Responses were limited to 1,000 characters and edited lightly for punctuation and spelling. Candidates were asked to focus on the positives their service would bring the state instead of making rhetorical attacks on their opponents. Responses have not been exhaustively fact-checked.
I have the ability to understand complex topics. This is a result of training and multiple career projects. I conducted energy surveys for commercial buildings and provided upgrade recommendations for realizing direct and indirect energy savings. At the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, I served as an energy specialist with the State and Local Initiatives Program where I took technical research and information and reworded it for education and outreach materials.
I currently teach two classes: Energy & Sustainability and Energy-Efficient Technologies and Renewable Energy for Gallatin College’s workforce program. The latter class covers the thermal, mechanical and electrical aspects of advanced technologies. I also explain the utility grid including microgrids and smart grid technologies.
Thus, I am very knowledgeable about energy and would be a quick study on energy and utility topics I need to learn about to properly serve as a commissioner.
The PSC must address climate change in its decision-making to address ratepayer costs as well as societal and ecosystem health. This can be accomplished while overseeing utility long-term plan development.
The main way the PSC can address climate change is to give renewable energy projects fair and due consideration because they do not require combustion to generate heat energy or electricity. Thus, when compared to fossil fuels, renewable energy does not emit greenhouse gasses that contribute to climate change. Renewables also do not emit pollution that negatively impacts human health. The Montana Climate Assessment provides specific information on how Montana agricultural producers, water resources and our forests are already experiencing negative impacts from climate change. This significantly impacts Montana’s economy. Thus, by addressing climate change, the PSC can protect Montanans in multiple ways.
Affordable rates can be achieved by implementing efficiency measures on both sides of the meter and by building utility-scale wind and solar electric power plants that are cheaper than fossil fuel-powered plants. Electricity can also be added to the grid from on-site and community solar projects. Renewables are free and not susceptible to volatile market prices. The PSC can invite competition by attracting businesses that build renewable energy projects and participating in western organized energy markets.
Renewable energy systems built with battery storage provide reliable electricity available on demand when needed. Our utility grid must be modernized for reliability. Upgrades can include micro-grids that reduce line losses and prevent widespread power outages. Smart-grid technologies give ratepayers control over when and how they use energy to reduce peak demand as well costs. We must also protect the grid from extreme weather events, vandalism and hacking.
First, direct the utilities to expand and better market current utility energy and water efficiency incentives and rebate programs to lower energy use regardless of the source. This will reduce natural gas and electricity bills.
Next, provide the most cost-effective energy source available to us and that is renewable energy with storage. The PSC can approve utility plans to build power plants themselves or the PSC can ensure terms are favorable for attracting other businesses that would build the plants and the utility would buy the power.
The PSC can also lower power bills by directing the utilities to participate in western organized energy markets for trading and buying cheaper wholesale electricity.
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Montana and other western states are increasingly experiencing droughts that reduce the water needed to operate hydroelectric dams and potentially thermoelectric power plants — like Colstrip. This is one other benefit of wind and solar — they do not require water for operation. Hydropower provides 36% of Montana’s electricity; thus, the PSC must consider this when overseeing utility long-range plan development.
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Colstrip’s economy depends on coal and the eventual closing of the power plant due to costs and pollution is a very contentious issue. Past efforts to address were deemed insufficient. Montana's governor, Legislature, NorthWestern Energy and the PSC need to step-up and develop a detailed, coordinated plan. It can include job training and providing incentives to attract companies looking to build. I would invite companies that manufacture components and technologies used for energy- and water-efficient buildings.
MTFP COVERAGE OF Bilo
CAMPAIGN FINANCE
Election outcomes
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| SUSAN BILO | 16,656 |
COMMON VOTING QUESTIONS
When are Montana’s 2024 elections?
Voters will pick which candidates advance to the November general election in the June primary, which is scheduled for Tuesday, June 4. Voters will pick the candidates who will ultimately fill each office on the ballot in the November election, which is set for Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Who runs Montana’s elections?
Montana elections are administered at the county level. The process is overseen by county clerks and election administrators, who help to train and monitor the volunteer election judges that staff the polls. Ballots are typically processed and counted at central county locations, with the results reported to the Montana secretary of state’s office via a statewide software system called ElectMT.
Once polls close, the secretary of state’s office provides results through its website. The state-level office also provides guidance to local election administrators to ensure compliance with state election laws. Additionally, enforcing compliance with some laws governing political campaigns, particularly those involving campaign finance, falls to a separate office known as the Commissioner of Political Practices.
Do I need to be registered in order to vote?
Yes. If you’re unsure about your registration status, you can check it through the Montana secretary of state's My Voter Page. You can register to vote by stopping by your county election office any time during regular business hours to pick up an application. After you’ve filled it out, you’ll need to get it back to your county election office by mail or in person (the latter option is strongly recommended close to Election Day to ensure your application is received in time). If you do present your application in person, you’ll have to provide a photo ID or the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you happen to be applying for a Montana driver’s license or identification card before the election, you can register to vote at the same time.
Can I register to vote on Election Day?
Yes. The state Legislature has sought to enact an earlier registration deadline, but under a March 2024 ruling by the Montana Supreme Court, same-day voter registration remains legal in Montana. Residents can register to vote or update their voter registration at their county’s election office prior to 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Does Montana have voter ID requirements?
Yes, you will be required to present identification when voting at the polls. However, under the Montana Supreme Court’s March ruling, changes made to those requirements by the 2021 Legislature remain blocked. The current forms of identification voters can use at the polls are a current Montana driver’s license, state-issued photo ID, tribal or military photo ID, a U.S. passport or a student ID. If you don’t have a photo ID, you can use a utility bill, a bank statement, a voter confirmation card or any other government document that shows your name and address.
Are there situations where I wouldn't be eligible to vote?
According to state law, you can't vote if you'll be under age 18 on Election Day, are not a U.S. citizen, or have lived in Montana less than 30 days. Convicted felons who are currently incarcerated in a penal facility and people whom judges have ruled to be of unsound mind are also ineligible to vote. Otherwise, you're good to go.
Can I vote online?
No, that’s not an option in Montana.
Can I vote by mail?
Yes, you can sign up as an absentee voter by checking a box on your voter registration form. If you’re already registered to vote, you can fill out a separate form and submit it to your county election office.
If you’re registered as an absentee voter, a ballot should be mailed to you a few weeks in advance of each election day. You can make sure your address is current via the My Voter page. County election officials are slated to mail ballots to voters for the June 2024 primary election May 10.
You can return ballots by mail, or drop them off in person at your county’s election office. Either way, the election office must receive your ballot by 8 p.m. on Election Day in order to count it.
How do I vote in person?
If you plan to vote at the polls, just be sure you know where your polling location is and head there between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Election Day. You'll need to provide a photo ID and sign the precinct register, at which point you’ll get your ballot and be directed to a voting booth. If you have any technical questions or run into any problems, the election judges at your polling place should be able to help you.
I have a friend or family member who isn't able to drop off his or her mail-in ballot. Can I do it for them?
Yes, you can. The Montana Legislature did make some changes to ballot collection laws in 2021 related to paid ballot collection, those changes have also been blocked by the Montana Supreme Court.
Who should I vote for?
That’s your call, not ours. We hope the information we present on this guide is helpful as you make that decision for yourself, though.
About this project
This guide was produced by the Montana Free Press newsroom with production and web development by Eric Dietrich, editing by Brad Tyer and Nick Ehli and contributions from Arren Kimbel-Sannit, Mara Silvers, Alex Sakariassen, Amanda Eggert and Stephanie Farmer. Questionnaire responses for legislatiive candidates were collected with help from the Montana League of Women Voters, through the league's Vote 411 program. Contact Eric Dietrich with questions, corrections or suggestions at edietrich@montanafreepress.org.
Montana Free Press is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit, reader-supported news organization serving Montana. MTFP's donor base includes supporters from across Montana's political spectrum, including some Montanans who are candidates in this year's election. MTFP's major donors are listed here and a current list of other supporters is available here. MTFP's news judgments are made entirely independently from donor involvement.
This material is available for republication by other media outlets under Montana Free Press' standard distribution terms.