NorthWestern Energy’s power plan found ‘deficient’ by independent review
The move comes after analysts for the Montana Public Service Commission found deficiencies with NorthWestern Energy’s plan that estimates power needs and how it will cost-effectively supply that power to its customers over the next two decades.
Latest ENERGY Reporting
Proposed tar sands pipeline in eastern Montana hits stumbling block
A tar sands oil pipeline proposed to run through eastern Montana has hit delays after state regulators found its application lacking necessary information. The agency deemed the application incomplete following pushback from environmental groups.
Who wants a say in power rates for Montana data centers?
Watchdogs argue that Montana Public Service Commission’s decision on a new rate will shape power bills for NorthWestern Energy’s 400,000-plus existing electricity customers in Montana for decades to come. Oversight by the PSC, Montana’s all-GOP utility board, comes amid surging interest in data centers. NorthWestern is reportedly in conversation with more than a dozen data-center…
How some Montanans are taking data center regulation into their own hands
Grassroots petitions in Butte-Silver Bow and Yellowstone counties aimed at curbing data center growth in Montana could make their way to ballots in November.
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MORE ENERGY REPORTING
Trump, Burgum Rescind Public Lands Rule
BLM effort to put conservation on par with energy development rejected as Trump administration reverses Biden goals
Trump, Burgum Rescind Public Lands Rule
BLM effort to put conservation on par with energy development rejected as Trump reverses Biden goals.
What happens to utility bills when data centers come to town?
Data center developers are proposing massive projects that could double NorthWestern Energy’s electricity demand. One expert on electricity law and public-utility regulation weighs in on how utility regulators can protect the public from ballooning power bills amid an “arms race” to facilitate data-center development.
Montana oil politics heat up as war in Iran continues
Whether rising oil prices, brought about largely by shipping challenges in the battle-plagued Strait of Hormuz, become a liability in elections this year will depend on how long fuel prices pinch consumers. But war-related increases are already stirring speculation about what comes next for Montana’s share of the Bakken shale formation — and concern about…
Montanans want more solar, natural gas development, are less interested in new coal plants
The poll results on Montana’s energy mix come as politicians and policymakers grapple with surging electricity demand spurred by investment in artificial intelligence and the data centers that support it.
NorthWestern Energy now owns an extra 592 megawatts of Colstrip. What’s its plan for doubling down on coal?
What we know about data centers, electricity costs and the future of Montana’s largest power plant following NorthWestern’s acquisition of nearly 600 megawatts of coal-fired power.
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Montana utility board: NorthWestern can put $246 million of its new gas plant into customers’ rates
The Montana Public Service Commission on Nov. 19, 2025, signalled its willingness to allow Montana’s largest utility to put the Yellowstone County Generating Station into the electricity rates of the 400,000-plus Montanans it serves.
Groups push back on Montana’s ‘data center boom’ in petition before utility commission
In a petition before the Public Service Commission, a coalition of groups working on energy, climate and social justice issues argued that hundreds of thousands of Montanans will face higher bills unless the state’s utility regulator provides stricter oversight of NorthWestern Energy, the state’s largest utility. NorthWestern has inked agreements with at least three data…
The future of Montana’s energy landscape through the eyes of industry insiders
During an all-day summit cohosted by the Montana Chamber of Commerce and Gov. Greg Gianforte, energy experts waded into the rise in electricity demand and proposals for Montana projects that could help meet that need.
Montana DOJ raises greenwashing claims in investigation into four Big Tech companies’ energy use
The letter dated Sept. 24, 2025, accuses four of the world’s largest tech companies of engaging in a “shell game” that has implications for the country’s grid. The letter comes as Montana faces burgeoning data center development that could more than double electricity demand for Montana’s largest utility.
A power plant next door
NorthWestern Energy’s 175-megawatt gas plant in Laurel is a lightning rod in Montana’s ongoing debate over the state’s energy future. We asked some of its neighbors what they think about the industrial behemoth in their backyard.
NorthWestern anticipates spending $18 million annually on operation and maintenance for Avista’s share of Colstrip
NorthWestern Energy is asking the Montana Public Service Commission to approve a new regulatory mechanism for its expanded share of the Colstrip coal-fired power plant.
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