BOB RANEY
Candidate for Public Service Commission, District 3
212 South 6 th Street
Livingston, MT 59047
222-0558
• Bachelor of Science, Montana State University
• Married, two daughters and a grandson
• Instrumental in developing modern waste management policy for Montana,
• Promoted improved maintenance of and access to state parks and fishing access sites;
• April 21, 2004 - Washington D.C. - testified before U.S. Senate Committee on Public Lands regarding fees to access public lands
• Sponsored the successful Future Fisheries Program that is a partnership between private landowners and anglers to improve fish habitat.
• Elevated the importance of weed management on state-owned properties as a legislator and during four years as a member of the Montana Weed Control Association.
• Successfully pushed for Super Fund cleanup efforts in Livingston.
• Long-time advocate for residential property tax relief and fiscal restraint.
Bob's positions on PSC issues:
* Montana needs an energy plan
Montana has no short- or long-term energy plan. Bob plans to work with the legislature and the governor to help develop a plan that will ensure reliable and affordable energy for all Montanans.
* Energy deregulation in a market without competition has been bad for Montana
Bob voted and worked against deregulation as a legislator in 1997. He believed that as a state with one of the lowest and most dependable energy supplies in the nation, Montana would not benefit by putting our captive regulated energy on the open market. The result of deregulation has been bad for Montana – lost jobs, higher energy prices, and great instability.
Bob feels Montana must investigate options to return to partial or full regulation of energy production, and to allow for public ownership of energy infrastructure if it is beneficial to consumers and can be done efficiently and effectively with a stable energy supply.
Montana must ensure that Montana's major energy provider is intact, and protect against the loss of energy infrastructure and localjobs presently held by NorthWestern Energy.
* The PSC must protect Montana's access to low cost energy produced in Montana, such as hydropower
Montana exports about half the energy it produces. Bob believes Montana cannot compete against other states for the low cost hydropower produced in Montana. Montana most retain access to its low-cost hydropower and ensure that Montanans are not saddles with the costs of new transmission lines and energy facilities that are developed for out-of-state energy users.
* Montana must add a greater mix of alternative energy sources and conservation to its energy supply and use the Montana University System to help the state develop technology for Montana
Bob believes that Montana must add alternative energy sources to its energy supply and put it to use for Montana citizens, businesses and schools. It can bolster this by encouraging and investing in wind and solar technology at its engineering schools at MSU and MT Tech. Montana must increase its conservation of energy, which is cheaper than new sources of energy.
* Develop a PSC that interacts more with the legislature, the governor and the people
Bob believes the PSC can provide more direction and guidance to the legislature that passes the laws and to the governor that sets the policies affecting energy and telecommunications systems governed by the PSC. If the PSC and our other elected officials work in isolation, Montana will face more debacles like energy deregulation. Bob has the experience, ability, judgment and proven background necessary to lead efforts in protecting and promoting citizen interests.
Telecommunications: Economic growth in Montana is as dependant on state of the art communication services as any thing else. Bob believes the PSC must recognize the importance of this industry to our future, and will stand firm in our behalf, using his legislative experience to defend and promote our Montana interests.
Co-ops: Co-ops have a long track record of providing reliable services to rural Montana, both for electricity and telecommunications. Bob believes electric cooperatives have a long standing proven record in protecting the interests of their member/customers and supports the co-operative system. He feels that if a co-op desires to acquire regulated energy property and customers, one of two conditions should be met: The customers of the acquired property must become members of the co-op so that they can vote on co-op decisions like other customers. If not, then the acquired property should remain regulated to insure the best interests of the acquired customers are protected.