The long holiday weekend’s cold snap not only smashed several temperature records, but also broke a record for energy demand across the state.
NorthWestern Energy said demand for power during the recent Arctic blast broke the previous record set during a powerful cold snap back in December of 2022.
The company said it also supplied a record amount of natural gas to its customers.
NorthWestern said its Montana natural gas-fired generation facilities, the Colstrip power plant and Montana hydro generation supplied almost half the power for customers during the peak of the extreme cold.
The company said energy purchases made on the open market met the balance of customer demand. A company spokesperson told MTPR most Montana wind turbines are designed to automatically switch off at about -24 degrees to avoid damage.