The Montana Public Service Commission held two nights of public hearings in Helena this week on NorthWestern Energy’s updated Integrated Resource Plan, drawing comment from more than 30 residents who raised questions about the utility’s long-term energy strategy and its continued reliance on fossil fuels.
What the Plan Covers
NorthWestern Energy’s Integrated Resource Plan maps out a 20-year roadmap for how the utility intends to meet electricity demand across its Montana service territory. State law requires utilities to update these plans every three years, and the current version includes a warning that customers could face a winter power shortfall as early as 2027.
The company attributes the projected gap to a combination of rising electricity demand and the expiration of long-term power purchase contracts. To address the shortfall, the plan calls for the Colstrip coal-fired power plant — already a recurring flashpoint in Montana energy debates — to remain operational as long as possible. The plan also identifies large data centers as both a major source of uncertainty and a potential growth opportunity for the utility.
Public Response
Hearings were held Tuesday and Thursday night at the PSC’s Helena offices. PSC President Jeff Welborn noted the level of turnout at the outset, saying, “Looks like we’ve got a lot of interest today — that’s a good thing.”
Many commenters pushed back on what they described as an overemphasis on fossil fuels and nuclear power in the plan, urging the commission to press NorthWestern to give greater weight to wind and solar resources. Helena resident Pat Clancey captured the sentiment of several speakers, calling on commissioners to hold “NorthWestern Energy accountable and responsible to provide the most cost-effective and low-impact energy to its customers.”
The debate over NorthWestern’s resource mix reflects a broader tension playing out across Montana and much of the Mountain West, as utilities weigh the reliability of existing thermal generation against the economics and public appetite for renewable alternatives.
What the PSC Can — and Cannot — Do
Under Montana law, the PSC has the authority to review an Integrated Resource Plan and declare it inadequate, which would compel the utility to submit revisions. However, the commission does not have the power to formally approve or reject the plan outright — a distinction that limits its direct leverage over NorthWestern’s strategic choices.
That regulatory structure has led some energy advocates to argue the IRP process, while useful for transparency and public input, does not give the commission sufficient tools to redirect a utility’s planning priorities.
Next Steps
The public comment period remains open through Tuesday, July 28. Residents who want to submit written comments can do so through the PSC’s online docket system using reference number 2026.04.026.
Following the close of public comment, commissioners are expected to hold a formal work session on the plan sometime in mid-August. That session will allow the PSC to weigh the public record and determine whether to request any modifications from NorthWestern before the plan moves forward.
The outcome of that work session could carry significant implications for Montana ratepayers and for the state’s energy trajectory over the next two decades — particularly if the commission signals dissatisfaction with how NorthWestern has balanced reliability concerns against renewable energy development. With a potential winter capacity shortfall on the horizon as soon as 2027, pressure on both the utility and its regulators to act decisively is likely to grow.
