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energy

Environmental Group Challenges NorthWestern's Planned Natural Gas Power Plant

By Kayla Desroches • May 28, 2021

An environmental group is suing to stop construction of a natural gas-fired power plant in southeast Montana.

350 Montana in a complaint filed Thursday asks a Missoula judge to block approval of the project and declare that the process state regulators use to approve new electricity supply developments is unconstitutional.

NorthWestern Energy intends to build a 175-megawatt natural gas plant in Laurel, just west of Billings. The company on May 19 submitted its application for pre-approval from state electric utility regulators.

Colstrip Power Plant Owners Challenge New Laws Targeting Plant Contract Terms, Arbitration

By Kayla Desroches • May 6, 2021

Two new Montana laws that aim to keep the Colstrip coal-fired power plant open and running sparked a lawsuit from plant owners who say the government is intruding on private business dealings.

Missoula County Cryptocurrency Mining Regulations Could Become National Model

By • Apr 28, 2021
Cryptocurrency coins
iStock

A new law in Missoula County could help write the future of cryptocurrency regulation in the U.S. In February, county officials adopted what they believe to be the first permanent zoning policy for cryptocurrency mining operations, which requires them to generate renewable energy and stay clear of residential areas. 

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.

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.

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