Employees include economists, accountants, attorneys, rate analysts, enforcement and compliance personnel, and support staff. Jurisdiction The PSC generally regulates private, investor-owned natural gas, electric, telephone, water and private sewer companies doing business in Montana. In addition, the PSC regulates intrastate railroads and certain motor carriers hauling regulated commodities. The PSC oversees natural gas pipeline safety regulations. The process of setting utility rates is somewhat like the process a banker uses in making a business loan.
Bankers usually ask applicants for detailed financial statements.
A banker and a loan applicant may discuss whether or not the financial statements, which depict a historical period, will accurately represent the future. If the banker thinks that some future event may affect the business by either increasing or decreasing earnings, then that factor may be used to adjust the historical financial statements. This, in turn, may cause the banker to increase or decrease the loan amount. Naturally, bigger businesses are more complicated to analyze. Businesses as big as major public utilities are very complicated.