PSC won't force NorthWestern to separate Montana utilit

HELENA - The Montana Public Service Commission on Tuesday rejected a proposal requiring NorthWestern Corp. to separate its healthy Montana utility from the financially ailing parent company.

On a 4-1 vote, commissioners agreed with their staff that such a move is premature with the PSC's sweeping investigation into NorthWestern's economic condition just beginning.

At the same time, the commission told its staff to come up with a plan to speed up that probe into the South Dakota-based company's finances that have deteriorated rapidly over the past year and left NorthWestern facing possible bank...