Montana News
Colstrip power plant back online
The state's largest energy utility lost a main source of power generation last week during a multi-week heatwave. Montana Public Radio's Ellis Julin reports the Colestrip plant is back up and running as temperatures are forecasted to rise again. Colestrip units 3 and 4 came back online on Saturday. Unit 3 had been down for 10 days to address a maintenance issue. Unit 4 was offline for 4 days, also for an unknown maintenance issue as MTPR previously reported. Northwestern spokesperson Jody Black said the maintenance issues that shut down both units were, quote, "separate" and "an unfortunate coincidence." Coal-fired power makes up almost 27% of the utility's energy portfolio. When Northwestern is unable to generate enough power to meet demands, it can purchase energy on the open market. That energy can be more expensive and costs are passed on to consumers. Reports this fall will show what the utility spent on the open market. Many areas in the state are expected to see temperatures climb back into the triple digits this weekend. When asked about concerns for Colestrip being affected by additional extreme heat, Black wrote that the plant has been able to serve customers when needed 95% of the time. In Missoula, I'm Ellis Julin. This is MTPR.