Gov. Brian Schweitzer says he will help backers of a proposed power transmission line secure permits for the project that spans between Montana and Alberta.

The project, known as the Montana Alberta Tie Line, has secured financing and Canadian regulatory approval, said Johan van't Hof. But the chief executive of the project's parent company said federal and state approval in Montana has been delayed. 
  
The biggest problem has been delays with the U.S. Department of Energy, which is now promising to complete a review that it originally said would be done in September, said van't Hof, of the Tonbridge Corp. He said Sen. Max Baucus has already put pressure on the DOE.

Schweitzer said he also will write a strongly worded letter, and promised van't Hof that state regulators at the Department of Environmental Quality would work quickly on their permits once the federal permits are done.
"The DEQ will be ready," Schweitzer said.

The Montana Alberta Tie Line wants to receive its permits so that wind farms can be built in time to get federal tax credits that expire at the end of the year, van't Hof said.

He is unsure if the $150 million transmission line project, which does not include the subsequent wind turbines, can meet that deadline.

"There is some doubt as to our ability to do this," van't Hof said.

Project backers expect the credits could be extended, but would like to finish this year to make certain they will qualify for the incentive.

The proposed transmission line will span 208 miles and serve as a conduit for 600 megawatts of electricity, with 300 megawatts traveling in each direction, between the Alberta Interconnected Electric System and the electric transmission network in Montana. It would be the first line to directly connect the Alberta and Montana power grids.

Environmentalists have been critical, worrying it could be used to transport electricity from greenhouse gas-producing coal plants.