Member Spotlight: NorthWestern Energy

NorthWestern Energy has provided reliable and affordable energy to customers in Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska for more than 100 years, and today serves more than 726,400 residential and business customers. The company got its start in small communities, providing essential service that allowed them to grow and prosper. With roots in the Montana Power Co. and South Dakota-based Northwestern Public Service Co., NorthWestern Energy took its current form in 2002 when the company bought the Montana Power electric and natural gas transmission and distribution system and became a partial owner of Colstrip Unit 4.

NorthWestern Energy gives back to our communities. About 80 percent of the company’s 1,220 Montana employees regularly volunteer with non-profit organizations, and the company supports this dedication through additional charitable contributions. In 2018, NorthWestern Energy donated over $1.7 million to non-profits in the communities served.

NorthWestern Energy and partners Missoula County Public Schools and the City of Missoula built solar installations at Hellgate, Sentinel, Big Sky and Willard high schools. The $1 million pilot project, funded and maintained by NorthWestern Energy, is part of large-scale studies around creating renewable energy solutions that can meet the demands of the regional energy grid. The project focuses on urban solar installations and education. MCPS students and teachers have hands-on learning experiences that will prepare students for jobs and help ensure a sustainable future. With data made available through a website hosted by NorthWestern Energy (nwesolar.com), Science, Math, and CTE teachers have written curriculum around analyzing the data and learning about solar energy for use in high school classrooms. Now that’s Delivering a Bright Future!