HELENA, Mont. (AP) - An Australian company has released previously redacted information on its proposal to buy NorthWestern Energy, responding to media groups who had complained that the information was being wrongly withheld from the public.

The decision follows an appeal last week filed by Lee Newspapers of Montana and The Associated Press. It asked regulators to force Babcock and Brown Infrastructure to disclose the results of key financial calculations analyzing its proposed purchase of NorthWestern.

The news groups argued that redacted information from a consumer expert's evaluation should be available to consumers. The information dealt with debt loads, profit margins BBI expects after its purchase of NorthWestern, and other financial information. BBI had maintained that information was a trade secret.

BBI said it believes the information is protected by PSC guidelines, but decided to release it anyway in the interest of openness. BBI is proposing to buy NorthWestern for $2.2 billion in a deal currently under regulatory review before the Montana Public Service Commission.

"We want to assure customers that BBI will be a responsible owner of NorthWestern Energy," BBI's CEO, Steve Boulton, said in a statement. "We want to make sure the Montana Public Service Commission and customers have reason to trust what we say and see the facts publicly for themselves. We intend to invest for the future, to work closely with customers and to become an integral part of the growth of Montana."