Bob Rowe: From Montana Public Service Commissioner to CEO of Northwestern Energy

It took a while to get over the initial surprise when NorthWestern Energy’s http://www.northwesternenergy.com/ board members announced in August that former Montana Public Service Commissioner http://www.psc.state.mt.us/ Bob Rowe would be the company’s next president and chief executive officer, says Claudia Rapkoch, company spokeswoman.

For more than a decade he sat on the other side of the table when officials from the company’s predecessor, Montana Power Co., and then later NorthWestern, argued their cases for everything from rate hikes to power supply contracts. He strongly opposed a state law allowing utility deregulation that opened the door for MPC to sell its dams and other generation assets.

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"Nobody really thinks of a new CEO as a former regulator, but now I think people see the connection, along with the value and perspective he brings," Rapkoch said. "I also think with Bob’s personality, employees find they can relate to him and are comfortable with the direction of the company."

By JO DEE BLACK • Tribune Business Editor

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