Montana Energy is holding public input meetings before submitting its 20 year plan to the Public Service Commission. Bozeman’s meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 4th from 5:30p-7:30p in the Community Room at the Bozeman Public Library.

According to Montana Public Radio –
“NorthWestern Energy’s Integrated Resource Plan compares different energy choices the company could make to power homes and businesses across Montana.

Environmental advocates have voiced concerns over the plan, saying it favors more expensive, polluting forms of energy over renewables like wind and solar. Nick Fitzmaurice is with the Montana Environmental Information Center.

“The majority of scenarios that NorthWestern ran shows them heavily relying on their existing coal power from Colstrip plant, and then building additional gas power, and then eventually replacing Colstrip with nuclear power,” Fitzmaurice says.

Nuclear is the most expensive power source. He says the costs would inevitably be passed on to ratepayers, and hopes to see the plan change with public feedback.”

For more information on the major issues for NWE’s 20 year plan, please read https://bozemanresists.com/pdfs/Bozeman_Feb4attendNorthWesternspublicmeetingsonits20yearplan.pdf or you can watch the webinar from the Montana Environmental Information Center (MEIC) https://meic.org/webinar-what-you-need-to-know-about-northwestern-energys-irp/