The Montana Department of Environmental Quality and Talen Montana LLC have reached a settlement agreement for the cleanup of two coal ash ponds at the Colstrip Power Plant. Northern News Network’s Eric Young has the details. https://northernbroadcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/10-20_637.mp3
Court Halts Colstrip Law
U.S. District Judge Susan Watters has blocked Montana from overriding portions of a private contract governing the Colstrip Power Plant. The judge said the law is likely unconstitutional which she will rule on at a later date. In an order Wednesday Watters paused a new Montana law empowering the state attorney general to order power plant rep...
Talen Energy’s Debt Brings Colstrip’s Future Into Question
Talen Energy, which operates Colstrip Power Plant, is $4 billion in debt and facing negotiations with creditors as its bonds are downgraded to a substantial fundamental credit risk. Bloomberg charts Talen’s bonds on a steep decline since May. This week, Fitch Ratings downgraded the long-term issuer default rating for Talen Energy Supply to CCC...
Colstrip Residents Suing Power Plant
More than 100 current and former residents of Colstrip are suing the power plant and the Rosebud Mine around which the community is built alleging damage from coal dust. The lawsuit filed in Rosebud County alleges that dust from coal piled at Colstrip Power Plant as well as trucks that deliver coal from Rosebud mine poses a health risk and has...
Montana DEQ Agrees To Terms For Colstrip Cleanup
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality retained last week’s approval to clean up groundwater contamination at the Colstrip Power Plant’s Evaporation Ponds. Northern News Network’s Eric Young has more. https://northernbroadcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/6-30_832.mp3
Colstrip Power Plant Announces Wind Farm Partnership
Colstrip Power Plant co-owner Puget Sound Energy has announced a 20-year contract with the Clearwater Wind Project near Colstrip. Northern News Network’s Eric Young with more. https://northernbroadcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/6-03_537.mp3
Colstrip Bill Gets Taken To State Courts
A new law approved by Governor Greg Gianforte Monday was met by a lawsuit Tuesday with a majority of the owners of the Colstrip Power Plant calling it unconstitutional. It forces disputes among the power plant’s six owners to be settled through Montana courts instead of Washington as currently spelled out by the Colstrip Ownership and Operatio...
Department of Revenue Warns Of Tax Return Scams
Governor Greg Gianforte signed two laws Monday nullifying portions of the Colstrip Ownership and Operation Agreement that has governed the Colstrip Power Plant for 40 years. In a tweet, he described the new laws as retaliation against Washington clean energy laws that have imposed a ban on coal power that begins at the end of 2025. Beware of s...
Northwestern Energy Bill Tabled By House Energy Committee
Members of the House Energy Committee tabled Senate Bill 379 Wednesday which was intended to shield NorthWestern Energy from future financial losses associated with the Colstrip Power Plant. Only one House committee member supported the bill which had cleared the Senate on mostly party lines. House Lawmakers could revive it though by blasting ...
New Survey Shows Majority of Montanans Oppose Colstrip Bill
A bill to spend $2 billion in federal COVID-19 relief money inched forward in the Senate on Thursday passing a preliminary vote in the same form as it emerged from a budget panel last week. House Bill 632 appropriating money coming to the state from the federal American Rescue Plan Act passed second reading 32 to 18. If what’s been nickn...