Create a state energy authority

This bill creates a new State Energy Authority in Montana to help develop and coordinate energy production and electricity transmission facilities. The authority will be composed of 14 members appointed by the governor, including representatives from state agencies and various energy sectors, who will serve staggered terms and receive per diem compensation rather than salaries. The authority has the power to plan, analyze, and coordinate energy projects to remove impediments to energy development, and it will be funded through money from the wholesale energy transaction tax. State agencies are required to cooperate with the authority, and the bill amends existing sections of the Montana Code Annotated to establish these new structures.