Kayla Desroches

Environmental groups filed the latest in a series of federal lawsuits against the Keystone XL crude oil pipeline, this time challenging a permit to cross federal lands.

In a lawsuit filed July 14 the groups argue that the U.S. Department of Interior failed to follow environmental laws like the Endangered Species Act when it greenlighted a right-of-way across more than 40 miles of federal land in Montana earlier this year.

In the latest step of a long pre approval process, the commission that regulates electric utilities in Montana wants to know how big a share NorthWestern Energy intends to purchase in the Colstrip coal fired power plant.

The State of Montana is seeking public comment on the environmental effects of reintroducing bighorn sheep, a native species, into the Little Belt Mountains in central Montana.

The U.S. Supreme Court on July 6 upheld a stay on parts of construction for the 1,200-mile Keystone XL crude oil pipeline, which broke ground in northern Montana earlier this year.

The State of Montana last week finalized its first set of comprehensive rules for disposal of oil and gas production waste.

The regulations for Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material, or TENORM, went through several rounds of public comment and revision before it reached its final form June 26. 

The commission that regulates electric utilities in Montana is calling into question the accuracy and adequacy of NorthWestern Energy’s 20-year energy plan.

The Montana Public Service Commission said in their comments that there are a number deficiencies in NorthWestern Energy’s 2019 Electricity Supply Resource Procurement Plan.

The five-person regulatory commission suggested NorthWestern failed to fully explore the value of renewable energy resources like wind and solar through its modelling system and that the plan included both input and modelling errors.

The State of Montana reported its second highest single day uptick in COVID-19 cases on Jun. 30. This comes after a new record count was set earlier this week.

A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist doing field work in southwest Montana survived a grizzly bear attack Wednesday. 

A Montana electric cooperative and a large solar panel developer recently struck an agreement to establish two 550-acre solar installments in one southeast Montana county.

A coal mining company that works in Montana filed a request in May for a judicial review of a recently changed rule for power plant air emissions standards. A Montana environmental group filed a motion to intervene this past week.