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Technology upgrade to better serve the public and streamline regulatory process
HELENA, Montana —
There was a celebratory feeling in the air at the offices of the Montana Public Service Commission (PSC) this week as the agency kicked off its new software modernization project. Commissioners, department staff, and the technology team were joined by representatives of regulated utilities, the Montana Consumer Counsel, legislative fiscal analysts, state IT professionals, and other stakeholders to preview and formally kick off the new project.
The new software modernization project, dubbed “REDDI” (short for “Replace EDDI”) is a welcome change. The agency’s existing Electronic Database for Docket Information (“EDDI”) was built by the State Information Technology Services Division (SITSD) but has never been fully capable of meeting the agency’s diverse business requirements.
In early 2021, the legislature appropriated nearly $2 million for REDDI and gave the Commission the green light to look beyond SITSD for solutions. The Commission initiated an intensive search for a solution capable of handling the agency’s multi-faceted regulatory business requirements and, after an exhaustive evaluation process, selected Pega Systems and Stratosphere Consulting in June 2022.
Commissioner Jennifer Fielder was appointed to spearhead the project when she joined the Commission in January of 2021. She believes the full commission, the legislature, department staff, and the state’s IT and Procurement divisions recognized the importance of this project and got behind it in a big way.
“It was apparent on Day 1 that the old EDDI system had been extremely problematic for our entire staff and the external users as well,” Fielder remarked. “Getting that resolved has been a significant undertaking, but I’m confident this new platform will improve efficiencies within the agency and serve the public and the entities we regulate exceptionally well for decades to come.”
Over the next 12-16 months, REDDI will incrementally replace EDDI to support the entire range of Commission business including Public Participation, Docket Management, Rate Cases, Cost Trackers, Investigations, Rulemaking Proceedings, Legislative Tracking, Licensing & Registration, Annual Reports, Consumer Assistance, Railway and Pipeline Inspections, Litigation Management, Online Payments, and related document processing, data management, and security.
To ensure it is ready for prime time and has been fully tested, REDDI will be released in stages designed for each area of operation. The first stage, planned for release in December 2022, will specifically serve the Consumer Assistance and Utility Outage Reporting units.
“We wanted to make sure the public is the first to benefit from this project,” said Commission President James Brown. “The ability for regulated companies and consumers to report utility problems and exchange information regarding outages will be greatly enhanced before year end.”
Brown, like Fielder, inherited EDDI when they joined the Commission in January 2021. The pair have been instrumental in working with staff and sister agencies to get the project off the ground.
During the closing session of REDDI Kick Off Week, Regulatory Division Administrator Will Rosquist, a 30-year veteran of the PSC, highlighted how much better this process has been than what he experienced in the past, “Compared to the EDDI experience, this project has a completely different feel. It’s been very positive. I’m very encouraged.”
A big part of the PSC’s mission is to facilitate interaction between stakeholders, regulated companies, and the public as the agency balances the interests of consumers and regulated utility companies. REDDI will provide a more seamless, transparent, and impactful customer service experience for the citizens and business entities involved in regulated service markets in Montana.
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