Montana Public Radio

Kayla Desroches

Kayla Desroches reports for Yellowstone Public Radio in Billings. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and stayed in the city for college, where she hosted a radio show that featured serialized dramas like the Shadow and Suspense. In her pathway to full employment, she interned at WNYC in New York City and KTOO in Juneau, Alaska. She then spent a few years on the island of Kodiak, Alaska, where she transitioned from reporter to news director before moving to Montana.

Bill Could Allow NorthWestern To Pass Colstrip Costs Onto Ratepayers

By • Apr 8, 2021
NorthWestern Energy builidng in Butte, MT.
Nora Saks / Montana Public Radio

The Montana Senate has approved a bill that could pass costs for the Colstrip coal-fired power plant onto NorthWestern Energy customers if the utility buys an added share in the plant.

Senate Bill 379, intended to continue the operating life of the Colstrip power plant, passed on the 27 to 21 vote and now heads to the House for debate.

Montana Rep. Rosendale Denounces Potential Impeachment Attempts

By • Jan 11, 2021
President Donald Trump and then Republican Senate candidate Matt Rosendale on stage during a July 5, 2018 rally in Great Falls, MT.
Corin Cates-Carney / Montana Public Radio

With less than two weeks left in the Trump Administration, Montana Republican Representative Matt Rosendale says that he won’t support cutting it short.

Rosendale says Jan. 20 will mark the transfer of power to President-elect Joe Biden.

Regulators Fine Helena Subdivision Utility For Water Service Interruptions

By • Dec 31, 2020
Water faucet.
(PD)

Montana regulators on Tuesday found a private water utility shut off water service without justification to residents of a Helena subdivision this summer.

The Montana Public Service Commission (PSC) issued a $1,000 fine and will further investigate North Star Development’s emergency interruption of service in August that affected some of the subdivision’s roughly 280 households.

New Lawsuit Challenges Keystone XL Federal Land Right-Of-Way

By • Jul 15, 2020

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.

Montana Regulators Drill Down On NorthWestern's Proposed Colstrip Purchase

By • Jul 14, 2020

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.

FWP Seeks Comments On Bighorn Sheep Reintroduction

By • Jul 9, 2020

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.

U.S. Supreme Court Blocks Keystone XL Permit

By • Jul 8, 2020

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.

Montana Finalizes First Set Of Rules For Oil, Gas Waste Disposal

By • Jul 2, 2020

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. 

Montana PSC Finds Deficiencies In NorthWestern Energy's 20 Year Plan

By • Jul 1, 2020

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.

Montana Receives Second Highest Number Of COVID-19 Cases In Consecutive Days

By • Jun 30, 2020

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.

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