<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:nww="http://www.wind-watch.org/namespace.php"
	xmlns:coop="http://www.google.com/namespace"
	>

<channel>
	<title>National Wind Watch: News &#187; Montana</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.wind-watch.org/news/category/montana/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news</link>
 	<image>
	 	<url>http://www.wind-watch.org/nwwlogo-white-50.jpg</url>
	 	<title>National Wind Watch: News &#187; Montana</title>
	 	<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news</link>
	 	<width>100</width>
	 	<height>40</height>
	</image>
	<description>Industrial Wind News from National Wind Watch</description>
	<pubDate>Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:32:19 +0000</pubDate>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6</generator>
	<language>en</language>
	
					<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Alberta]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Officials try to hurry pace of permits for MATL</title>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Aug 2008 09:55:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>25 Aug 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[Northcentral Montana county commissioners, frustrated by the slow pace of environmental review, called on Gov. Brian Schweitzer Tuesday to redouble efforts to a get permit approved for a 200-mile transmission line between Great Falls and Lethbridge, Alberta. 
&#8220;It&#8217;s just like a snail crawl,&#8221; said Harvey Worrall, chairman of the Chouteau County Commission.
Worrall&#8217;s comments came at a news conference on the steps of the Chouteau County Courthouse here. Commissioners from nine counties were in town to attend the fall meeting of .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/08/25/officials-try-to-hurry-pace-of-permits-for-matl/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=17165</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Butte wind turbine plant put on hold</title>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Aug 2008 09:44:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>25 Aug 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[The groundbreaking for a multi-million dollar wind turbine manufacturing facility in Butte planned for this fall is now set for spring 2009.
Evan Barrett of the Governor&#8217;s Office of Economic Development said the project is definitely moving forward, however an overwhelming demand for turbines elsewhere has delayed the project temporarily.
&#8220;Right now they are opening a brand new plant in Germany. Of course they are not a huge company, as a result of that, their focus is on that,getting that done successfully .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/08/25/butte-wind-turbine-plant-put-on-hold/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=17158</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Alberta]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Alberta issues permit for MATL tie line</title>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:10:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>14 Aug 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[Montana Alberta Tie Ltd. was granted a permit from the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board on Tuesday to construct the Canadian stretch of a 215-mile electrical transmission line between Great Falls and Lethbridge.
The line is expected to spur wind farm construction in northcentral Montana.
The EUB permit was the final OK needed for the Alberta portion, which makes up about 40 percent of the entire project, said Bob Curran, an EUB spokesman. Canada&#8217;s National Energy Board previously approved the plan.
&#8220;It means .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/08/14/alberta-issues-permit-for-matl-tie-line/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=16767</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Alberta]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Transmission line permit granted</title>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:05:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>13 Aug 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[The Alberta Energy and Utilities Board on Tuesday granted a permit to a Calgary-based company to construct a 230-kilovolt transmission line between Lethbridge, Alberta, and Great Falls.
The Montana Alberta Tie Ltd., a subsidiary of Tonbridge Power out of Toronto, announced the decision this morning. The transmission line is called the Montana Alberta Tie Line.
“We want to thank all landowners who have and continue to meet and work with us,” said Bob Williams, the company’s vice president of regulatory.
As a condition .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/08/13/transmission-line-permit-granted/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=16702</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Norris Hill wind power projects move forward</title>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Jul 2008 09:59:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>30 Jul 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[The effort to turn the Norris Hill area of Madison County into a wind energy hotspot took a major step forward Tuesday as county commissioners unanimously approved two projects slated for construction there.
Commissioners gave the green light for Madison Valley Renewable Energy, LLC to put up eight additional test towers on Norris Hill. The company already has eight towers with anemometers to check wind speeds. It needed the additional towers because it has leased more ground to eventually put up .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/07/30/norris-hill-wind-power-projects-move-forward/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=15772</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Critics say scenery and wildlife need to be considered</title>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Jul 2008 13:20:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>20 Jul 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[Gov. Brian Schweitzer and local leaders toasted the green energy, jobs and taxes that will be produced by northcentral Montana&#8217;s first large-scale wind farm, the Glacier Wind Farm, near Shelby during a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday.
However, not all Montanans are ready to raise their glasses. Among the skeptics is Ursula Mattson of East Glacier. She said she is all for the benefits of wind development, but worries about a potential downside, mainly &#8220;the negative impact of these huge wind farms right .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/07/20/critics-say-scenery-and-wildlife-need-to-be-considered/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/07/20/critics-say-scenery-and-wildlife-need-to-be-considered/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Alberta]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Judith Gap Wind Farm taking toll on bats, birds</title>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Jul 2008 13:11:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>20 Jul 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[An estimated 1,200 bats, most of them probably just passing through Montana, were killed after striking wind turbines at the Judith Gap Wind Farm between July 2006 and May 2007, according to a post-construction bird and bat survey.
The number surprised Invenergy, which owns the farm, as well as government and private wildlife experts.
&#8220;It&#8217;s killing 1,200 bats a year and that&#8217;s a lot more than anybody anticipated,&#8221; said Janet Ellis of Montana Audubon, a bird conservation group.
TRC Solutions of Laramie, Wyo., .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/07/20/judith-gap-wind-farm-taking-toll-on-bats-birds/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/07/20/judith-gap-wind-farm-taking-toll-on-bats-birds/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>South-central Montana a hot spot for wind</title>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:34:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>11 Jul 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[A century ago, homesteaders Elbert and Alice Phipps no doubt cursed the relentless winds that raked their wide-open spaces. But today&#8217;s inhabitants, great-grandson Clarence Phipps and his wife, Lynn, and 8-year-old daughter, Emma, value the nonstop gale.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve got something to sell, and it&#8217;s wind,&#8221; Lynn said.
Montanans have long dealt in water, mineral and oil rights. But for the past few years, landowners like the Phippses have been leasing their &#8220;rights&#8221; to the wind.
The Phipps ranch is roughly 25 miles northwest .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/07/11/south-central-montana-a-hot-spot-for-wind/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/07/11/south-central-montana-a-hot-spot-for-wind/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Opinions]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Cost of backing up wind key to NWE dispute</title>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:12:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>10 Jul 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[The green energy industry enjoys an exciting public image, from futuristic hybrid engines to caffeinated, playful work environments. But the real work of the green revolution is just that: work.
Generating power with renewable resources creates a host of logistical and legal challenges, and it falls to several blandly named government bodies to shape the future of alternative energy. In Montana, that government body is called the Public Service Commission.
An important recent decision by the PSC concerns a small Billings-based wind-power .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/07/10/cost-of-backing-up-wind-key-to-nwe-dispute/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/07/10/cost-of-backing-up-wind-key-to-nwe-dispute/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>At Montana&#39;s biggest wind farm, bat deaths surprise researchers</title>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Jun 2008 10:17:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>22 Jun 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[As wind power gears up in Montana, the effects of large-scale wind projects on wildlife remain a concern: Birds may be in the clear, but bats are running into trouble.
Turbine-related fatalities at Judith Gap Wind Energy Center near Harlowton were 1,206 bats and 406 birds, according to a 2007 preliminary study prepared by TRC Solutions’ Laramie, Wyo. office.
Roger Schoumacher, a biologist and consultant for TRC, said the bat fatality count is higher than what generally occurs in the West.
For more .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/06/22/at-montanas-biggest-wind-farm-bat-deaths-surprise-researchers/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/06/22/at-montanas-biggest-wind-farm-bat-deaths-surprise-researchers/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Views on wind farm sought</title>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 May 2008 10:30:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>28 May 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[Travelers driving Interstate 90 west of Big Timber may one day glimpse wind turbines at the Coyote Wind project.
But well in advance of that day, the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation is seeking comments on the proposal that would occupy a state school section roughly 11 miles west of Big Timber, four miles northeast of Springdale and two miles north of Interstate 90 and the Yellowstone River.
Details remain sketchy as New Jersey-based Alternity Wind Power conducts a feasibility study .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/05/28/views-on-wind-farm-sought/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/05/28/views-on-wind-farm-sought/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Wind farm in Yellowstone Co.</title>
		<pubDate>Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:20:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>29 Apr 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[An Irish energy company is looking to build up to 300 wind turbines in Big Horn and Yellowstone Counties. This project could bring millions of dollars to the area.
Bill Fisher owns property in the Pine Ridge area. He said he is currently in negotiations with the power company Gaelectric and is not allowed to talk about specifics. He said officials with the company are talking to several landowners in the Pine Ridge area about building on their land.
&#8220;I&#8217;m 61, I&#8217;ll .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/04/29/wind-farm-in-yellowstone-co/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/04/29/wind-farm-in-yellowstone-co/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>PSC compromises on wind fee</title>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:38:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>23 Apr 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[Dispute centered on what small projects would pay utilities
State utility regulators Tuesday settled a dispute that could affect the future of small wind power projects in Montana, setting a charge that one project must pay when selling its electricity to the state&#8217;s largest utility.
On a 4-1 vote, the Public Service Commission voted to set the charge for Two Dot Wind, which has been waiting many months to settle the issue and iron out its contracts with NorthWestern Energy.
The PSC ruling .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/04/23/psc-compromises-on-wind-fee/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/04/23/psc-compromises-on-wind-fee/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Wind farm operators: We’ll offer expanded power elsewhere in state</title>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:32:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>23 Apr 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[Operators of the Judith Gap wind-power project said Monday they’ll offer electricity from a proposed expansion to other Montana buyers, after being turned down by the state’s largest utility.
“It’s clean power produced in Montana,” said Doug Carter, senior vice president for Invenergy in Denver. “We think the other consumers in the state will look at this price and say, ‘We want this power.’” NorthWestern Energy, which buys the current output of power from Judith Gap, declined last week to buy .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/04/23/wind-farm-operators-we%e2%80%99ll-offer-expanded-power-elsewhere-in-state/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/04/23/wind-farm-operators-we%e2%80%99ll-offer-expanded-power-elsewhere-in-state/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>The new gold rush</title>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:37:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>21 Apr 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[A new breed of prospector is scouring Montana&#8217;s hills, but wind is the resource it seeks.
Before these prospectors harvest that gold in the sky, however, they&#8217;ve got to secure the real key to the mother lode — permission from landowners to build towering wind turbines the size of a Boeing 747.
Across the state, from Circle in the east to Ennis in the west, the race is on to lock up the best sites by courting landowners and sealing deals for .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/04/21/the-new-gold-rush/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/04/21/the-new-gold-rush/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Lease agreements confidential, except with school trust land</title>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:35:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>21 Apr 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[For competitive reasons, wind companies don&#8217;t disclose what they&#8217;re paying landowners to lease property for wind farms.
Oftentimes, landowners sign confidentiality agreements when leasing their property for such ventures.
However, leasing information is public when school trust land is involved.
Madison Valley Renewable Energy recently offered the state between &#36;4.25 and &#36;10.60 per acre annually for exploration and development rights in a request for proposals for a project involving school trust land near Ennis. The lease price differs depending on the area explored.
In .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/04/21/lease-agreements-confidential-except-with-school-trust-land/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/04/21/lease-agreements-confidential-except-with-school-trust-land/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>No easy way to settle debate about cost of wind energy</title>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Apr 2008 19:34:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>20 Apr 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[HELENA &#8212; If Montana is serious about wind power, those who control and regulate the state&#8217;s electricity need to answer what may seem a simple question: What&#8217;s the cost of wind-generated power?
You&#8217;d think the answer would be easy: The wind farm owners calculate their costs, add some profit, negotiate a contract to sell the power to your local utility, and off we go.
But it&#8217;s not that simple. Wind power, unlike electricity generated by a coal-burning plant or a hydroelectric dam, .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/04/20/no-easy-way-to-settle-debate-about-cost-of-wind-energy/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/04/20/no-easy-way-to-settle-debate-about-cost-of-wind-energy/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>NWE won’t buy power from wind farm expansion</title>
		<pubDate>Sat, 19 Apr 2008 10:34:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>19 Apr 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[NorthWestern Energy has declined an offer to buy additional power from the Judith Gap wind farm, whose operators have proposed expanding the 135-megawatt project.
“We don’t think it’s in the best interests of our electricity supply portfolio to acquire that (expanded) project at this point in time,” said John Hines, director of supply for NorthWestern.
NorthWestern sent a letter this week to the project owner, Invenergy, declining its offer, Hines said.
The company wouldn’t release a copy of the letter, citing a confidentiality .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/04/19/nwe-won%e2%80%99t-buy-power-from-wind-farm-expansion/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/04/19/nwe-won%e2%80%99t-buy-power-from-wind-farm-expansion/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>PSC likely to OK power integration charges</title>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:33:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>16 Apr 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[State utility regulators indicated Tuesday they’ll support charging small wind-power projects in Montana for the cost of adding their power to NorthWestern Energy’s electric system that serves 320,000 Montanans.
But the state Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities, delayed final action until next week.
PSC rate analyst Will Rosquist said he’ll draft a proposal that includes a specific charge, which he expects will be less than the amount sought by NorthWestern Energy.
NorthWestern had proposed charging small projects anywhere from 16 percent to .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/04/16/psc-likely-to-ok-power-integration-charges/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/04/16/psc-likely-to-ok-power-integration-charges/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>State wind firms, NWE await ruling from PSC</title>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Apr 2008 10:40:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>15 Apr 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[Developers of small wind power projects in Montana have their eyes on the Public Service Commission this week, as it may decide a crucial price issue affecting their ability to succeed.
NorthWestern Energy, the state&#8217;s dominant electric utility and the primary purchaser of wind power in Montana, wants to charge small wind farms for the cost of &#8220;integrating&#8221; their power into the NorthWestern system, which serves 320,000 customers.
The utility says that if wind power developers don&#8217;t pay that cost, NorthWestern consumers .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/04/15/state-wind-firms-nwe-await-ruling-from-psc/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/04/15/state-wind-firms-nwe-await-ruling-from-psc/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Wind farm pitches capacity expansion to NWE; Judith Gap facility wants to add 35 turbines</title>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:39:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>11 Apr 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[The owner of Montana&#8217;s largest operating wind farm, near Judith Gap, has proposed adding 35 turbines, which would increase its production capacity nearly 40 percent, officials at NorthWestern Energy confirmed.
Invenergy, based in Chicago, has pitched the expansion to NorthWestern, the utility buying the electricity currently produced by the wind farm, which sits north of Harlowton in central Montana.
NorthWestern should decide soon whether it wants to buy power that would be produced by the additional turbines, said John Hines, the chief .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/04/11/wind-farm-pitches-capacity-expansion-to-nwe-judith-gap-facility-wants-to-add-35-turbines/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/04/11/wind-farm-pitches-capacity-expansion-to-nwe-judith-gap-facility-wants-to-add-35-turbines/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Alberta]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Economic benefits, costs of MATL line debated</title>
		<pubDate>Fri, 21 Mar 2008 10:15:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>21 Mar 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[Not since the Farm Bill that idled thousands of acres of dry cropland in the 1980s, has something-the proposed Great Falls to Alberta high-voltage power line-created such high stakes for area farmers, businesses and politicians.
The most recent event in a three-year long saga was the third and final public hearing in Conrad on March 13 for a privately-funded transmission line that would be built over cropland and grazing lands between a NorthWestern Energy substation near Rainbow Dam in Great Falls .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/03/21/economic-benefits-costs-of-matl-line-debated/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/03/21/economic-benefits-costs-of-matl-line-debated/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Letters]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Hold your complaint, wind power developers</title>
		<pubDate>Sun, 16 Mar 2008 10:47:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>16 Mar 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[The small wind developers&#8217; concern on being required by NorthWestern Energy to acquire regulation and reserves for their projects is misplaced. I&#8217;d like to remind the wind developers they are supported with production energy credits, in other words, our federal tax dollars, and profits go into their pockets &#8212; not the taxpayers&#8217; nor energy rate payers&#8217; pockets.
Energy prices have not decreased with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission&#8217;s deregulation efforts. They have increased by adding middlemen costs! Without the wind production .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/03/16/hold-your-complaint-wind-power-developers/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/03/16/hold-your-complaint-wind-power-developers/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Alberta]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Transmission line hearing generates praise, concerns</title>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:00:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>12 Mar 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[A public hearing on what would be the first merchant transmission line between Canada and the United States drew 100 residents to Great Falls on Tuesday, with economic development officials and elected officials singing its praises and farmers raising concerns.
The &#36;150 million Montana Alberta Tie Line would stretch 230 miles — 129 of them in Montana — between Great Falls and Lethbridge, Alberta. It&#8217;s being proposed by Montana Alberta Tie Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Toronto-based Tonbridge Power Inc.
Three .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/03/12/transmission-line-hearing-generates-praise-concerns/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/03/12/transmission-line-hearing-generates-praise-concerns/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Proposed Glasgow-area project goes down in size once again</title>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:02:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>25 Feb 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[A wind farm proposed in Valley County in northeastern Montana keeps getting smaller, but the developer insists the project isn&#8217;t dead.
Stephen Wiley of Texas-based GreenHunter Wind Energy LLC, said the company now hopes to construct a 10-megawatt wind farm entirely on private land.
The initial proposal was for a 500-megawatt facility covering 20,000 acres of publicly and privately owned property.
Conservation interests raised concerns because the project was located so close the Bitter Creek Wilderness study area, which is known for its .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/02/25/proposed-glasgow-area-project-goes-down-in-size-once-again/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/02/25/proposed-glasgow-area-project-goes-down-in-size-once-again/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[U.S.]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Showdown ahead over wind energy tax break</title>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:00:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>25 Feb 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[Montana&#8217;s fledgling wind energy industry is keeping its fingers crossed that the House will approve legislation next week that would extend a tax break that has helped the industry compete financially with energy generated from fossil fuels.
The legislation would extend the renewable energy production tax credit by three years for wind, geothermal, biomass, landfill gas, trash combustion facilities and small hydropower projects.
The production tax credit, which has been around since 1992, has helped convince several companies to build commercial wind .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/02/25/showdown-ahead-over-wind-energy-tax-break/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/02/25/showdown-ahead-over-wind-energy-tax-break/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Opinions]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Wind power has more problems than promise</title>
		<pubDate>Sun, 24 Feb 2008 11:32:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>24 Feb 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[A Portuguese utility is proposing to build 100-tower 300-megawatt wind farm near Martinsdale that will include 330-foot towers and a new transmission line to carry the power to population centers such as Las Vegas, Seattle, Denver.
These towers will forever change the scenic value of the Musselshell River Valley. They will have a devastating effect on land values, adversely affect wildlife, create high noise levels and block the beauty of the night sky with red strobe lights.
Wind power is being &#8220;sold&#8221; .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/02/24/wind-power-has-more-problems-than-promise/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/02/24/wind-power-has-more-problems-than-promise/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Alberta]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Environmental study released on proposed Alberta-Montana power line</title>
		<pubDate>Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:13:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>12 Feb 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[A study of environmental effects from a proposed Alberta-Montana power line has been released, opening a 45-day period for public comment.
The Montana Alberta tie line proposed by a subsidiary of Toronto-based Tonbridge Power would extend 325 kilometres from Lethbridge, Alta., to Great Falls, Mont..
Developers have said the line and related wind-energy projects could lead to &#36;1 billion in investment.
Critics include farmers who would have to work around some of the power apparatus.
Tom Ring of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/02/12/environmental-study-released-on-proposed-alberta-montana-power-line/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/02/12/environmental-study-released-on-proposed-alberta-montana-power-line/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Alberta]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Federal agency set to release tie line study</title>
		<pubDate>Sun, 10 Feb 2008 11:24:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>10 Feb 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[Major developments in the regulatory review of what would be the first merchant transmission line between Lethbridge, Alberta, and Great Falls are occurring north and south of the border.
The Montana Alberta Tie Line, which is expected to spawn wind farms in northcentral Montana, would be owned by Tonbridge Corp., a Toronto-based energy firm.
State officials announced Friday that an environmental study of the project would be released for public review sometime next week.
On Jan. 31, the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/02/10/federal-agency-set-to-release-tie-line-study/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/02/10/federal-agency-set-to-release-tie-line-study/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Alberta]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Controversial powerline gets tentative nod</title>
		<pubDate>Fri, 08 Feb 2008 11:57:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>08 Feb 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[Alberta landowners oppose route through irrigated fields and farms
Shares in Tonbridge Power Inc. (TSXV:TBZ) rose after its subsidiary Montana Alberta Tie Ltd. won conditional approval to construct and operate a 230-kilovolt powerline between Lethbridge and Great Falls, Mont.
The OK from the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board gives authority to proceed with details for the 346-kilometre preferred route, along a corridor approved last April by the National Energy Board.
A public hearing was held for three weeks last fall in Lethbridge. A .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/02/08/controversial-powerline-gets-tentative-nod/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/02/08/controversial-powerline-gets-tentative-nod/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Alberta]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Energy board approves power line between Montana and Lethbridge, Alta.</title>
		<pubDate>Fri, 01 Feb 2008 12:25:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>01 Feb 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[Alberta&#8217;s energy regulator has approved the construction and operation of a power line into the province from Montana.
The Montana Alberta Tie-Line has been given conditional approval for the 230-kilovolt power line that will import and export electricity between Lethbridge, Alta., and Great Falls, Mont.
The Alberta Energy and Utility Board said in a news release late Thursday afternoon that the Montana company must hold discussions with affected landowners along the approved route &#8220;to address the mitigation of specific impacts&#8221; on them.
The .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/02/01/energy-board-approves-power-line-between-montana-and-lethbridge-alta/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/02/01/energy-board-approves-power-line-between-montana-and-lethbridge-alta/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Preservation board seeks protection for L&#038;C landmark</title>
		<pubDate>Thu, 31 Jan 2008 19:32:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>31 Jan 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[The Montana Historic Preservation Review Board is asking Gov. Brian Schweitzer to protect a nationally recognized Lewis and Clark portage route it contends is threatened by the proposed Highwood Generating Station.
Both the coal-fired power plant and the Great Falls Portage National Historic Landmark are located east of Great Falls.
&#8220;We urge you to take all necessary steps within your power as governor to protect this important National Historic Landmark,&#8221; board Chairman H. Rafael Chacon wrote in a letter to Schweitzer dated .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/01/31/preservation-board-seeks-protection-for-lc-landmark/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/01/31/preservation-board-seeks-protection-for-lc-landmark/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[U.S.]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Energy corridors see few comments</title>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Jan 2008 11:38:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>30 Jan 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[The only public hearing in Montana on proposed energy corridors in 11 Western states prompted few comments Tuesday, even though almost every seat was taken in the meeting room at the Great Northern Hotel in Helena.
Most of those in attendance were representing some official organization and spoke in favor of designating corridors on federal lands for gas, electricity and other energy transmitters.
Specifically, they favor routes following Highway 287 from Townsend to Three Forks, then westward toward Butte and Anaconda and .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/01/30/energy-corridors-see-few-comments/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/01/30/energy-corridors-see-few-comments/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Up to 100 turbines proposed near Martinsdale</title>
		<pubDate>Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:55:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>29 Jan 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[A Texas company with Portuguese backing is working with state natural resource officials in central Montana to develop a 300-megawatt wind farm &#8212; twice the size of the state&#8217;s largest existing wind project.
Horizon Wind Energy would erect up to 100 turbines near Martinsdale to tap into winds sweeping through the Musselshell River valley.
Horizon had been solicited to develop in the area by the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. The agency owns about 2,400 acres of school trust land .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/01/29/up-to-100-turbines-proposed-near-martinsdale/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/01/29/up-to-100-turbines-proposed-near-martinsdale/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Wind energy development hot topic in region</title>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Jan 2008 12:39:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>10 Jan 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[Meeting Dec. 11, area residents packed the Lobby Restaurant in Conrad to hear Montana State University Extension Agent Sarah Hamlen present a lecture on wind energy and the opportunities and pitfalls of seeking it to supplement one&#8217;s income.
It was standing room only as 50 people heard Hamlen say that the program was a timely topic for the area. Wind farms are being proposed in the area and a high voltage power line is being contemplated between Great Falls and Lethbridge, .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/01/10/wind-energy-development-hot-topic-in-region/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/01/10/wind-energy-development-hot-topic-in-region/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Companies vie to harness Norris Hill wind potential</title>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Jan 2008 12:38:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>10 Jan 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[If the winds blow the right way, three developers might soon create electrical generation facilities in the Norris Hill area to harness its powers.
One of those developers, Madison Valley Renewable Energy LLC, was recently chosen by Montana to use state school trust lands in Madison County for a wind power project, in exchange for a percentage of its gross revenues, said Mike Sullivan, a property management section supervisor with the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.
School trust lands, of .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/01/10/companies-vie-to-harness-norris-hill-wind-potential/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/01/10/companies-vie-to-harness-norris-hill-wind-potential/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Company to add more wind farms in Montana</title>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Dec 2007 11:58:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>20 Dec 2007</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[CONRAD &#8212; The company that owns the state&#8217;s largest wind farm is planning to expand it and build four to six more in Montana, one of the company&#8217;s top executives said.
Chicago-based Invenergy LLC is so bullish on the state&#8217;s wind potential that it recently hired a full-time employee to oversee the development of Montana projects, said Mark Jacobson, director of business development for Invenergy.
Jacobson, who is based in Invenergy&#8217;s Littleton, Colo., office, was in Montana this week to meet with .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/12/20/company-to-add-more-wind-farms-in-montana/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/12/20/company-to-add-more-wind-farms-in-montana/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Wind project waiting for green light</title>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Dec 2007 11:56:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>17 Dec 2007</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[An agreement that could make Valley County the site of one of the most advanced wind farms in the United States is awaiting approval by the Chinese government, according to The Glasgow Courier.
GreenHunter Energy Inc., a Grapevine, Texas-based developer, announced the pending acquisition of interest in People&#8217;s Republic of China-based MingYang Wind Power, which will soon be one of the largest manufacturers of wind turbines in China, according to the report.
Turbine shortages are one of the biggest obstacles to development .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/12/17/wind-project-waiting-for-green-light/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/12/17/wind-project-waiting-for-green-light/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Editorials]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Don&#8217;t sacrifice our wildlands for power lines</title>
		<pubDate>Sun, 16 Dec 2007 11:28:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>16 Dec 2007</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[SUMMARY: Energy corridor proposal must not sacrifice one half of the state for the other.
The U.S. Department of Energy&#8217;s current proposal to set aside some federal lands in 11 western states for oil, gas and electricity pipelines probably qualifies for the short list of all-time bad ideas.
Carve a 3,500-foot-wide path through millions of acres of irreplaceable national parks and wildlife refuges? And for what?
It&#8217;s certainly true that the nation needs to enhance its energy infrastructure. The construction of new transmission .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/12/16/dont-sacrifice-our-wildlands-for-power-lines/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/12/16/dont-sacrifice-our-wildlands-for-power-lines/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Alberta]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Power-line hearings in Canada conclude</title>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 Dec 2007 11:52:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>11 Dec 2007</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[After 22 days of testimony, the Alberta Energy Utilities Board on Nov. 21, concluded its hearings on a proposed international transmission line between Great Falls and Lethbridge, Alta.
The EUB has up to 90 days to render its decision whether to approve or deny Montana Alberta Tie Ltd.&#8217;s project to build a 300-megawatt transmission line to carry proposed wind energy and other power through the farmlands of northcentral Montana and southern Alberta.
The project would be a private or merchant line, but .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/12/11/power-line-hearings-in-canada-conclude/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/12/11/power-line-hearings-in-canada-conclude/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Opinions]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Tax credits add wealth to foreign wind firms</title>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Nov 2007 12:19:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>09 Nov 2007</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[The windup
Eagle-eyed observers of this irregularly scheduled column recall that the previous article concerned U.S. taxpayers subsidizing Canadian ratepayers to the tune of &#36;380 million if three U.S. wind farms are built to supply wind power to Canadians [Outpost, Nov. 1].
You may also recall that U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., said
that he would move quickly to close the loophole and his opponent, Commissioner Bill Kennedy, refused to answer. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., also refused to answer the question and his .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/11/09/tax-credits-add-wealth-to-foreign-wind-firms/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/11/09/tax-credits-add-wealth-to-foreign-wind-firms/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Alberta]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Regulators gearing up for power line final reviews</title>
		<pubDate>Fri, 12 Oct 2007 11:08:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>12 Oct 2007</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[After a summer of relative quiet on a proposal to build a transmission line between Montana and Alberta, the project is again generating news as it heads toward the backstretch of its final regulatory races.
Montana Alberta Tie Ltd. has sold to three wind farm developers its proposed power line&#8217;s total capacity of 600 megawatts (300 mw in each direction) between Great Falls and Lethbridge, Alta., through eastern Teton County. The company, a subsidiary of Tonbridge Power of Toronto, Ont., reported .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/10/12/regulators-gearing-up-for-power-line-final-reviews/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/10/12/regulators-gearing-up-for-power-line-final-reviews/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Alberta]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Power line hearings set to begin soon</title>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Oct 2007 11:21:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>01 Oct 2007</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[The Alberta Energy and Utilities Board will begin hearings Oct. 16 on the Alberta portion of a proposed cross-border power transmission line connecting electric systems in the Canadian province and Montana.
The hearings in Lethbridge will involve a three-member panel examining the evidence and listening to testimony. The panel will make a decision within 90 days of the conclusion of the hearings.
Approval from the Alberta board is the last of two clearances required in Canada. In April, the National Energy Board, .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/10/01/power-line-hearings-set-to-begin-soon/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/10/01/power-line-hearings-set-to-begin-soon/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Alberta]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>DEQ studying impacts of proposed power line</title>
		<pubDate>Sun, 30 Sep 2007 11:33:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>30 Sep 2007</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[Spin-off wind farms are getting a closer look as part of a new study assessing the impacts of the U.S. stretch of a proposed power transmission line between Great Falls and Lethbridge, Alberta, according to the state Department of Environmental Quality.
However, a DEQ regulator said it is difficult gathering information because the DEQ doesn&#8217;t specifically regulate the wind industry.
&#8220;We&#8217;re going to do the best (we can) with the information we have,&#8221; the DEQ&#8217;s Tom Ring said.
Alterations to the overhead transmission .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/09/30/deq-studying-impacts-of-proposed-power-line/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/09/30/deq-studying-impacts-of-proposed-power-line/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Proposed wind farm shrinks in size</title>
		<pubDate>Tue, 25 Sep 2007 10:30:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>25 Sep 2007</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[A 500-megawatt wind farm north of Glasgow that was shelved after running into opposition from environmentalists will be revived as a 50-megawatt project, the chief executive behind the proposal said Monday.
The Valley County wind farm had been suspended earlier this year after several environmental groups lined up against the project over concerns its 400-foot tall turbines would loom over an adjacent wilderness area.
After local officials lobbied aggressively to have it restored, Gary Evans, chief executive of GreenHunter Energy Inc. of .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/09/25/proposed-wind-farm-shrinks-in-size/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/09/25/proposed-wind-farm-shrinks-in-size/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Ill winds for Montana power project; investors turn to California</title>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Sep 2007 10:32:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>24 Sep 2007</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[The strong winds that blow across the Northern Plains have been chased over the past two years by a spate of politicians and entrepreneurs eager to promote wind as an alternative to fossil fuels.
Yet political will, tax breaks and a seemingly endless supply have not been enough to guarantee developers can turn wind into watts. As a result, one of the largest wind farms ever proposed in the United States has been shelved after the Montana project ran into opposition .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/09/24/ill-winds-for-montana-power-project-investors-turn-to-california/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/09/24/ill-winds-for-montana-power-project-investors-turn-to-california/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Wind power slow to catch on in Montana</title>
		<pubDate>Sun, 23 Sep 2007 11:19:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>23 Sep 2007</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[For all the talk about wind power in Montana, you&#8217;d think the towering, white turbines would be sprouting like sagebrush across the prairie.
The numbers, however, tell a slightly different story.
Montana&#8217;s handful of wind farms can generate enough electricity to power about 50,000 homes, or about 145 megawatts. Most of that capacity is one project, the Judith Gap wind farm.
That total isn&#8217;t bad, considering Montana&#8217;s population. But most states in the Northwest and the northern plains have more.
North Dakota generates slightly .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/09/23/wind-power-slow-to-catch-on-in-montana/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/09/23/wind-power-slow-to-catch-on-in-montana/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Montana wind market to expand; renewable energy programs available</title>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Jul 2007 09:59:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>06 Jul 2007</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[The technology for harnessing Montana&#8217;s wind, a virtually untapped resource, is getting bigger, better and more efficient, according to a local wind expert.
John Bacon plans to use some of this new technology to develop Montana&#8217;s windiest areas into a profitable business of providing renewable energy for his company and the neighboring farmers and ranchers.
Bacon works with the Invenergy wind development company which built the first wind farm in central Montana and is looking to expand his operation in central and .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/07/06/montana-wind-market-to-expand-renewable-energy-programs-available/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/07/06/montana-wind-market-to-expand-renewable-energy-programs-available/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Alberta]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>DOE requires more analysis on proposed MATL power line</title>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Jul 2007 11:16:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>04 Jul 2007</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[Some grain growers in northcentral Montana and Alberta, used to government bureaucracy and bad weather eroding their bottom line, are determined to get a fair shake from another adversary &#8212; big business &#8212; in the form of a Canadian company proposing to build a private or &#8220;merchant&#8221; transmission line across their cropland.
The federal and state/provincial governments on both sides of the border are set to approve or deny the permits for Montana Alberta Tie Ltd.&#8217;s three-year-old proposal by summer&#8217;s end .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/07/04/doe-requires-more-analysis-on-proposed-matl-power-line/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/07/04/doe-requires-more-analysis-on-proposed-matl-power-line/</guid>
					</item>
						<item>
		<nww:division>
		~		</nww:division>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Alberta]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Power line, wind farm projects hold during stringent U.S. review</title>
		<pubDate>Fri, 22 Jun 2007 11:26:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>22 Jun 2007</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[The U.S. Department of Energy plans its toughest environmental review of the proposed power transmission line between Great Falls and Lethbridge, Alta., after farmers complained about the proposed type and routing of the power poles.
In March, the U.S. Department of Energy and Montana Department of Environmental Quality issued a draft environmental study of the 230-kilovolt line. But on June 1, after concluding the project might have “a significant effect upon the environment,” the DOE announced it would complete an environmental .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/06/22/power-line-wind-farm-projects-hold-during-stringent-us-review/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/06/22/power-line-wind-farm-projects-hold-during-stringent-us-review/</guid>
					</item>
		</channel>
</rss>
