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 do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Construction to begin on wind farm near Bridger after approval
Carbon County commissioners on Sept. 5 approved a wind farm about 10 miles southeast of Bridger that has been in the works for almost a decade. Construction is slated to begin in the fall. The project, originally called the Mud Springs Wind Ranch Project, has been renamed the Pryor Mountain Wind Project. The project changed hands several times before Pacificorp bought the farm from Sunrise Wind Holdings LLC in May. The 114-turbine farm will connect with an existing Pacificorp 230-kilovolt . . . Complete story »
Land board OKs lease option for proposed wind farm
HELENA – The state Land Board on Monday approved a five-year option to lease for 3,080 acres in Wheatland and Meagher counties for a company proposing a wind farm in which the Montana School for the Deaf and the Blind is expected to receive a total of $81,620. The agreement was reached with Martinsdale Wind Farm for a proposed development that turns wind into energy. The trust would benefit the Great Falls-based Montana School for the Deaf and the Blind . . . Complete story »
Commissioners pause tax break vote on $500M wind farm
Rosebud County commissioners have hit the pause button on deciding whether a $500 million wind farm warrants a 50% tax abatement. Commissioners tabled a proposal Tuesday to lower taxes on the Clearwater Wind farm to be located near Forsyth. In the works since 2012, 120-turbine farm will generate enough power to electrify 300,000 homes. Developers plan to market the power in the Pacific Northwest by way of the 500-kilovolt power lines servicing the four units of coal-fired Colstrip Power Plant. . . . Complete story »
Judge switches course on conflict of interest case: Board members can vote on Sand Hills wind project
The wind is blowing in a new direction in Cherry County. A court order that had temporarily prevented two of the county’s board members from voting on an application for a 19-turbine wind farm in the Nebraska Sand Hills was vacated last week – a move that, for the time being, allows the county to hold a vote on the project. That’s potentially bad news for Preserve the Sandhills, an advocacy group opposed to wind energy development in the scenic hills . . . Complete story »
PSC, NorthWestern lose another court case alleging they undermined renewable-power projects
The state Public Service Commission and NorthWestern Energy have lost another court decision in a case accusing them of undermining development of renewable-power projects in Montana. Late last week, state District Judge James Manley of Polson said the PSC wrongly allowed NorthWestern to waive legal requirements that it buy power from small, locally owned wind- or solar-power projects in Montana. NorthWestern, the state’s dominant electric utility, has never fully complied with the 2005 law requiring it purchase a certain amount . . . Complete story »
Dillon lawyer announces bid for Public Service Commission
Brown has represented several companies, including motor carriers, waste haulers and wind energy producers, before the Public Service Commission, but doesn’t have ongoing cases related to the panel. He said much of his work as a lawyer has been to protect agricultural producers from conservation groups and defend Montanans against government overreach and regulation by challenging the constitutionality of state laws. Complete story »
Judge temporarily halts construction on Crazy Mountain Wind project
A Montana District Court judge has temporarily blocked the construction of a proposed wind farm on the Park and Sweet Grass county lines. Judge Jon Oldenburg ruled Tuesday that San Francisco-based Pattern Energy cannot start the construction of a 22-turbine wind farm on the properties of ranchers Rick Jarrett and Alfred Anderson until the case goes to trial. But a group of neighbors sued to stop the project, arguing it would hurt their ability to enjoy their land as it . . . Complete story »
Proposed wind farm subject of lawsuits
A proposed wind farm between Livingston and Big Timber has received multiple legal challenges from a group of landowners opposed to the project. The latest action came Thursday, when the nearby ranches filed a lawsuit against Sweet Grass County, alleging a proposed road use agreement ceded too much control over county roads to Crazy Mountain Wind, LLC, the company behind the project. Hours later, the Sweet Grass County Commission declined to make a decision on the agreement, saying at the . . . Complete story »
Wind turbine project near Crazy Mountains raises concern among residents
Dozens of wind turbines are being considered for installation in the Crazy Mountains, stirring controversy among those who live in the area. Pattern Energy has plans to install 500-foot wind turbines between the Yellowstone River and the mountain range. The turbines would span parts of Park and Sweet Grass counties. Many Montanans living close to the Crazy Mountains—and even ones who don’t—have signed a petition put together by the Crazy Mountain Neighbor Coalition to stop the wind turbine project that . . . Complete story »
Montana wind farm exempted from frequency response rule
FERC ruled last week that an existing Montana wind farm awaiting a new interconnection is exempt from a recent commission order requiring all new generators to be capable of providing primary frequency response. The commission’s Nov. 15 ruling said Order 842 does not apply to NaturEner’s Glacier Wind Farm II, which has been in the queue for Enbridge’s Montana-Alberta Tie-Line (MATL) since 2013 and currently the only resource to request to join the 214-mile, 230-kV AC line extending from Lethbridge, . . . Complete story »
