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The City of Great Falls will pay $99,000 in fines for failing to meet energy requirements, and while the amount may seem hefty, it's less than what could have been issued.

As a competitive energy supplier, Electric City Power is required to produce 10% of its energy from renewable sources.

In April, the MT Public Service Commission assessed a possible fine totaling nearly $133,000.

The City fought the fine, saying the City's partner, Southern Montana, failed to assist in procuring energy credits.

City Attorney Jim Santoro said, "We didn't have a meter installed, we waited a year for Southern to install a meter. That would've procured a substantial amount of energy credits. In addition, we didn't have cooperation to go out in the marketplace to get more credits."

Santoro says the City will work to find a way to pay the fine without making taxpayers absorb the full cost.

There is no deadline, but the PSC says the city should pay in "reasonable" amount of time.

The City was fined more than $20,000 in 2008 for the same issue.

City officials are working to gather the necessary energy credits for this year's deadline, including the new meter at the city's water treatment plant.

Credits must be in by the end of March.

(September 14, 2011) The city of Great Falls made a pitch on Wednesday to reduce a $132,000 fine handed down by the Public Service Commission.

The fine was levied for failure to meet renewable energy standards in 2009.

The city had until March 2011 to procure energy credits and prove that it is fulfilling its obligations as an energy provider through Electric City Power.

City Attorney Jim Santoro says the Wednesday's Public Service Commission hearing provided an opportunity for ECP to present evidence of their efforts to follow regulation.

Santoro added, "We try to do the right thing. We knew there were issues, but there were so many circumstances surrounding those issues, so we had our day in court this morning."

Santoro says the issue is now in the hands of the PSC to apply the law to the facts.

He knows the fine won't be completely forgiven; he hopes for an order within 30 days.