Montana Public Radio

energy

US Wildlife Agency Seeks To Carve Out Areas From Protections

By Matthew Brown & Associated Press • Sep 4, 2020
Lesser prairie chicken.
CC-BY-2 https://www.flickr.com/photos/larry1732/

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A Trump administration proposal released Friday would allow the government to deny habitat protections for endangered animals and plants in areas that would see greater economic benefits from being developed — a change critics said could open lands to more energy development and other activities.

Trump Administration Finalizes Coal Plant Pollution Rollback

By & Matthew Brown & Travis Loller • Aug 31, 2020
Coal ash waste at the Colstrip power plant.
Courtesy Alexis Bonogofsky - Montana Environmental Information Center

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The Trump administration on Monday finalized its weakening of an Obama-era rule aimed at reducing pollution from coal-burning power plants that has contaminated streams, lakes and underground aquifers

The change will allow utilities to use cheaper technologies and take longer to comply with pollution reduction guidelines that are less stringent than what the agency originally adopted in 2015.

Montana Energy Regulators To Decide On NorthWestern Colstrip Aquisition In December

By Kayla Desroches • Aug 27, 2020

Montana state regulators will consider NorthWestern Energy’s proposed purchase in a greater share of the Colstrip coal fired power plant in mid December.

The Montana Public Service Commission (PSC) set a hearing date of Dec. 14 at its meeting on Aug. 25.

NorthWestern filed a motion on Aug. 14 to expedite the first hearing on its proposed 92-MGW acquisition in Colstrip unit 4 to November. Intervenors said that’s not enough time for discovery.

PSC staff’s suggested mid December hearing is before newly elected commissioners take their seats.

Montana Regulators To Consider Pandemic's Impact On NorthWestern's Decoupling Program

By Kayla Desroches • Aug 20, 2020

Editor’s Note 08/20/20: The original version of this story misattributed the included quote and it has since been corrected.

Montana electric utility regulators are investigating the effect of the novel coronavirus on a rate structuring pilot program from the state’s largest utility.

This week, the Montana Public Service Commission (PSC) ordered NorthWestern Energy to submit a report factoring in financial impacts from the novel coronavirus on the utility’s decoupling program.

Montana Coal-fired Power Plant Starts Partial Demolition

By & Tom Lutey • Aug 5, 2020
Power plant at Colstrip, MT.
Beth Saboe / MontanaPBS

Montana's largest coal-fired power plant has begun demolishing equipment as part of a partial closure.

The Colstrip Power Plant started dismantling its Unit 1 and 2 cooling towers in July, the Billings Gazette reported Wednesday.

Coal Company To Rehire 73 Workers At Montana Mine

By & Cooper McKim • Jul 28, 2020
The Spring Creek Mine near Decker, Montana
Google maps

A coal company plans to rehire 73 employees who've been out of work at a Montana mine since April. The workers will be able to return to Spring Creek Mine on Aug. 3, according to a Monday announcement by the Navajo Transitional Energy Company.

Gianforte Releases "Montana Comeback Plan"

By • Jul 16, 2020


This week, Montana’s Republican candidate for governor unveiled what he’s billing a comeback plan for the state.

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.

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.

Montana Oil Executive Given 18-Month Sentence For Explosion

By • Jul 13, 2020
Oil pump.
Dan Boyce

The president of an oil processing company whose Eastern Montana plant exploded in 2012 was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison.

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