NorthWestern Energy

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Electricity Supply

Montana

  • Our ownership interest in Colstrip Unit 4, a 740 MW demonstrated-capacity coal-fired power plant located in southeastern Montana, is expected to supply approximately 13% of our Montana base-load requirements through 2010 and approximately 25% thereafter.
  • Our remaining customer load requirements are met with market purchases from third parties and include resources from wind generation, gas-fired generation and seasonal base-load hydro supply.

South Dakota

  • We jointly own three coal-fired generating plants for electricity requirements in South Dakota. 
    • Big Stone Plant  (Big Stone City, S.D.) 
    • Coyote Electric Generating Station (Beulah, N.D.)
    • Neal Electric Generating Unit No. 4 (Sioux City, Iowa)
  • We also wholly-own nine peaking/standby generating units located throughout our service territory used only during peak periods.
  • We have a 20-year power purchase agreement for 25 MWs of electric supply from the Titan I Wind Project in Hand County, South Dakota. 
  • We have agreements with MidAmerican Energy Company for firm supply capacity during the summer months through 2012.
  • We are a member of MidContinent Area Power Pool (MAPP).
  • We used coal to generate approximately 99 percent of the electricity for South Dakota operations in 2009.
  • Our natural gas and fuel oil peaking units provided the balance.

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