NorthWestern Plows Ahead with Boondoggle Gas Plant

by Anne Hedges The January winter storm proved that NorthWestern Energy has dedicated linemen and on-the-ground employees; unfortunately,...

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Turn Off That Leaky Pipeline: Methane Gas No Cleaner Than Coal

by Nick Fitzmaurice NorthWestern Energy is a combined electric and gas utility, operating as the monopoly energy provider throughout most...

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The Truth about NorthWestern’s Carbon-Free Generation

In a recent Montana PBS special, the CEO of Montana’s monopoly utility, NorthWestern Energy, expressed frustration that the company...

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Poor Planning and Misguided Investments Put NorthWestern Customers at Risk

by Nick Fitzmaurice A version of this article originally ran as an op-ed in news publications across the state.   In early January, the...

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The Inevitable Wind-down of Montana’s Coal Mines

by Derf Johnson Montana is part of a region in the United States known as the Powder River Basin, currently the largest coal-producing...

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Montana’s Energy Transition Part 2: Decarbonizing Energy

by Nick Fitzmaurice In our previous issue of Down to Earth, I introduced the concept of the energy transition as we decarbonize local and...

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MEPA Work Group Evaluating Bedrock Environmental Law

By Derf Johnson Hundreds of people turned out for the MEPA hearings during the fall, including these high school climate activists in...

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The Montana Route That Could

by Nick Fitzmaurice Passenger rail could play a key role in decarbonizing transportation in Montana and across the U.S. Do you love trains?...

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The Legislative “Off-Season:” Interim Committee Update

by Nick Fitzmaurice, Derf Johnson, & Anne Hedges The legislative interim committees are in full swing as they tackle studies and start...

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DEQ Climate Planning Falls Short

by Nick Fitzmaurice The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) received a federal planning grant this fall of $3 million as the...

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