Wind Power News: Montana
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
Montana wind power: Big projects on tap in central Montana
MARTINSDALE – From the top of Gordon Butte, Montana’s sparsely populated upper Musselshell River Valley stretches below, dotted with the occasional irrigation pivot, ranch house or wind turbine. But if the plans of renewable-power developers pan out, the butte and the valley will become major construction sites – a large wind farm, or two, and a $1 billion hydropower project that serves as a “battery” storage to complement intermittent wind power. “As we look to export more and more wind . . . Complete story »
One of Great Falls’ first wind turbines coming down
Great Falls College MSU is removing the wind turbine from its campus. Deconstruction is expected to be complete next week. The wind turbine was purchased used from the University of North Dakota. It had been installed at the wind farm near Raynesford before being moved to GFC MSU. The turbine, which is no longer operational, stopped working in November and the cost to fix and continually maintain it is prohibitive. The purchase and installation of the wind turbine was paid . . . Complete story »
Restrict blight of wind farms
We don’t need the blight of wind farms in Montana. Our largest industry is tourism because of Montana’s beauty. Drive across Minnesota and Kansas and you will agree about the blight. Physical footprint of about 12 acres per megawatt produced by coal, gas and nuclear. Solar and wind are much more land intensive using 46.5 and 70.6 acres per megawatt produced. As of 2015 wind turbines accounted for only 4.7 percent of total electricity demand. Each turbine has a lifespan . . . Complete story »
Minnesota company to build 30-turbine wind farm in central Montana
A proposed central Montana wind farm will provide power to NorthWestern Energy under a contract announced this week. Minnesota-based Allete Clean Energy announced it will build the 80-megawatt South Peak wind farm near Great Falls and deliver power to NorthWestern Energy for 15 years under a power purchase agreement. It’s enough power to electrify about 26,000 homes. The project will be located next to Spion Kop, a 40-megawatt wind farm owned by NorthWestern near Geyser. Allete (pronounced A-leet) will use . . . Complete story »
Winds of change: What will power the Northwest’s future?
MARTINSDALE, Mont. – Carl Borgquist wants to spend more than $1 billion to transform a remote butte fringed by pine trees into a giant water battery. This might seem a madman’s folly if not for the roller-coaster nature of wind and solar power production, which can soar when few need electricity, then fade in the evenings when people come home to turn on the lights. When demand is low, Borquist would store energy in the form of water pumped from a . . . Complete story »
$2M loan will help pay for a single Two Dot Wind turbine going up in Broadview
Construction of single wind turbine is expected in Broadview later this spring. Two Dot Wind will build a single wind turbine capable of electrifying 487 homes. The company secured a $1.9 million loan Feb. 5 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy for America Program. Two Dot Wind will contribute $1.2 million to the project. The Company will sell its power to NorthWestern Energy. Wind developer Dave Healow said work on the site could begin this spring. The turbine . . . Complete story »
Developer scraps Montana wind farm over power price
A Calgary-based energy company said Wednesday it won’t build a 21-megawatt wind farm in Montana because it won’t be paid enough for the power it generates. The Public Service Commission approved a price of $23.30 per megawatt hour. TransAlta wanted $43.63 per megawatt hour for the power; Northwestern Energy, which would have purchased it, proposed paying $13.96. The price discrepancy had gone to the PSC for mediation. Stacey Hatcher, TransAlta communications manager, said Wednesday the company can’t accept the terms . . . Complete story »
Montana wind farm may not happen under ‘extremely difficult’ terms, developer says
Canadian renewable energy giant TransAlta says it cannot develop a wind project near Harlowton under terms set this week by Montana’s Public Service Commission. The developer’s comments come one day after the PSC announced the New Colony Wind Project was “one step closer to breaking ground after receiving the go-ahead from state regulators.” “These terms would make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for any new QF projects to be constructed in the State of Montana,” said Stacy Hatch, spokesperson . . . Complete story »
NaturEner USA formally protests its tax bill, again
NaturEner USA has formally protested 2017 centrally assessed taxes for its three wind farms in Glacier and Toole counties, according to the Montana Department of Revenue. Currently, NaturEner is appealing their centrally assessed taxes for 2015 and 2016 for its Glacier Wind Energy 1, Glacier Wind Energy 2 and Rim Rock Wind Energy facilities. At the heart of the protests is a disagreement between NaturEner USA and the Montana Department of Revenue (MDOR) over the valuation and possible deduction of . . . Complete story »
Montana now makes wind farms put up bonds to ensure towers are taken down
New rules will require big wind farm owners to post bonds with the state of Montana to ensure decommissioning including the removal of giant towers. Draft decommissioning rules were published Thursday by the state Department of Environmental Quality detailing the process and requirements. Public comment is being accepted. “It’s the old story, they’re great now but 15 years from now maybe there’s going to be a whole change in who owns the things,” said Rep. Jim Keane, D-Butte. Keane was . . . Complete story »
