NorthWestern Energy makes recycling inroads while pledging 590,000 advanced electric, natural gas devices for Montana

As part of a project to install 590,000 new advanced electric meters and natural gas modules throughout its Montana service area, NorthWestern Energy announced last week that it has also recycled 210,250 pounds of old materials to date.

Approximately 132,700 meters have been installed. After this, the old meters were taken and recycled to keep them from landfills.

“The recycling piece of this project is critical in keeping recyclable material out of our landfills,” Matt Holden, NorthWestern Energy Project Manager, said. “The new advanced meters will support processes and programs to advance sustainability. It is important to NorthWestern Energy to align the entire project with our sustainability and stewardship goals.”

Deployment of the new meters began in 2021 and is expected to conclude in 2024. According to the company, the results will allow for two-way communication between NorthWestern and its meters. This could help its workers restore service quicker during outages, notifying them when an outage occurs. For customers, information on current energy use will also be more readily available.

Overall, this should also improve service reliability and assist the company’s clean energy transition efforts.