Northwestern Energy buys 9.7 megawatt wind project in Montana

NorthWestern Energy is expanding its energy capabilities via the purchase of Two Dot Wind Farm LLC in central Montana, bringing an additional 9.7 megawatts of wind power under its control.

This is the result of an $18.5 million purchase agreement between NorthWestern and NJR Clean Energy Ventures, though it still needs to be approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. It is expected to close sometime in late April, after which time NorthWestern said its customers should see lower energy costs as a result. This purchase will also go some way to helping NorthWestern meet the Community Renewable Energy Project requirement of Montana’s Renewable Portfolio Standard.

“By purchasing this project, we will provide customers with renewable power at an estimated average annual savings of about $170,000, compared to the existing QF wind contract,” John Hines, NorthWestern Energy’s vice president of supply, said. “NorthWestern will continue to search for similar opportunities that provide additional cost savings for customers.”

This marks the second wind project owned by NorthWestern in Montana, though the company also has contracts with nearly a dozen other large wind energy producers in the state. It derives almost 450 megawatts from such contracts.