News
NorthWestern seeks permits for new power plant
NorthWestern Energy said it is seeking permits for a natural-gas-fired power plant near Anaconda, Mont., and hopes to start building the plant next year. ...The $206 million plant would be used to stabilize the electric grid and allow NorthWestern to take more wind power onto the system, company officials said. ...PSC Commissioner Ken Toole welcomed the permit application. He said such a plant could allow for the production of more wind power plants, which require so-called "firming" power to fill in the gaps when winds are not blowing.
August 26, 2008
by Matt Gouras
in Forbes
NorthWestern Energy said it is seeking permits for a natural-gas-fired power plant near Anaconda, Mont., and hopes to start building the plant next year.
The company said Tuesday it has applied for an air quality permit from the Department of Environmental Quality and approval from the Public Service Commission.
The $206 million plant would be used to stabilize the electric grid and allow NorthWestern to take more wind power onto the system, company officials said.
The plant would be the first step to "reintegrating" the utility under legislation passed in 2007 that allows the company to own power plants, reversing a ban left over from the deregulation of the 1990s.
The new power plant would be regulated by the PSC, which would establish rates for customers. Northwestern says that the plant will help stabilize the price of power that it now needs to buy on the open market.
"That is why this is our first priority, to see if we can have something under our control," company spokeswoman Claudia Rapkoch said.
PSC Commissioner Ken Toole welcomed the permit application. He said such a plant could allow for the production of more wind power plants, which require so-called "firming" power to fill in the gaps when winds are not blowing.
"This has been something that we have been waiting for," Toole said Tuesday. "I actually have been concerned about how long this took."
The company says it has been working to line up support and complete details on the plant, first proposed in February.
Toole said the commission will have to review details of the plant and determine what the costs to consumers will be. The commission has 270 days to offer its approval of the plant.
The company said Tuesday it has applied for an air quality permit from the Department of Environmental Quality and approval from the Public Service Commission.
The $206 million plant would be used to stabilize the electric grid and allow NorthWestern to take more wind power onto the system, company officials said.
The plant would be the first step to "reintegrating" the utility under legislation passed in 2007 that allows the company to own power plants, reversing a ban left over from the deregulation of the 1990s.
The new power plant would be regulated by the PSC, which would establish rates for customers. Northwestern says that the plant will help stabilize the price of power that it now needs to buy on the open market.
"That is why this is our first priority, to see if we can have something under our control," company spokeswoman Claudia Rapkoch said.
PSC Commissioner Ken Toole welcomed the permit application. He said such a plant could allow for the production of more wind power plants, which require so-called "firming" power to fill in the gaps when winds are not blowing.
"This has been something that we have been waiting for," Toole said Tuesday. "I actually have been concerned about how long this took."
The company says it has been working to line up support and complete details on the plant, first proposed in February.
Toole said the commission will have to review details of the plant and determine what the costs to consumers will be. The commission has 270 days to offer its approval of the plant.
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