LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]


Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

NWE won’t buy power from wind farm expansion 

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 agreement with Invenergy, which is headquartered in Chicago.

Invenergy officials did not return calls seeking comment about plans for the Judith Gap expansion.

Invenergy has proposed adding 35 turbines to the wind farm north of Harlowton, increasing its power-production capacity nearly 40 percent.

NorthWestern has been buying the power produced by the project since it opened in 2006. Judith Gap is the only major wind farm in Montana.

Under terms of the purchase agreement, Invenergy has to give NorthWestern first crack at buying any power produced by an expansion of the project, company officials have said.

If NorthWestern declines, Invenergy is free to market the power elsewhere.

NorthWestern has 320,000 customers in Montana, and obtains most of its wholesale electricity on the open market or through long-term contracts with energy producers, such as Invenergy. That power is then sold to NorthWestern’s residential and business customers across Montana.

At 135 megawatts, Judith Gap is the only major wind-power project in Montana. The second-largest project is MDU Resources’ 19.5-megawatt wind farm near Baker, close to the North Dakota border.

One megawatt of wind power provides enough electricity for 240 to 300 homes.

NorthWestern is paying about $30 per megawatt hour (mwh) for electricity purchased from the Judith Gap wind farm, which began operating in 2006. Other costs associated with the power should put the cost at about $41 per mwh this year, NorthWestern officials have said.

That cost is less than the approximate $56 per mwh NorthWestern is charging customers now for its “portfolio” power, which is electricity from a variety of sources, purchased on the market.

By Mike Dennison
IR State Bureau

Helena Independent Record

19 April 2008

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook

Wind Watch on Linked In Wind Watch on Mastodon