Agreement reached regarding purchase of Montana wind farm energy

NorthWestern Energy entered into an agreement with developer WKN Montana II this week to purchase the energy, capacity and environmental attributes of a qualifying facility (QF) wind farm that will be developed in south-central Montana.

The agreed-upon price after much negotiation for the power produced by the 80-megawatt QF is $37.63 per megawatt hour.

“We are pleased to have negotiated an agreement that will result in a very low cost QF renewable project for our portfolio
and that also incorporates important contract terms including reasonable curtailment rights which help protect our customers’ bills,” John Hines, vice president of energy supply at Northwestern Energy, said.

The project, known as the Vivaldi Springtime Wind Project, will involve the construction of 26-35 turbines depending on the manufacturer and will be located approximately eleven miles north of Reed Point in Stillwater County, Montana.

“This project is a great balance between the need for local economic development and the need for affordable electricity in our local communities,” Stillwater County Commissioner Maureen Davey said.

Construction will begin in the second quarter of 2017 and be completed by the first quarter of 2018.

NorthWestern Energy operates in Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska and serves approximately 701,000 customers.