NorthWestern Energy Does Its Work So That You Can Do Yours – NorthWestern Energy Chief Executive Officer Bob Rowe

Our employees are doing extraordinary work this winter, keeping our customers safe and warm, especially during this week’s extreme weather.  What our people are accomplishing today is built on years of planning, investment, training and preparation.

NorthWestern Energy exists to build, maintain and operate critical infrastructure and provide essential energy service so that you, our customers, may live your lives and pursue your dreams.

My 14-plus year tenure with NorthWestern ends in January. It has been a privilege to work with and serve this company and our customers, across Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Yellowstone National Park. Our focus is on building a company that is operationally excellent, energy-service focused, community focused and customer focused. We are now stewards of over $7 billion of our region’s most critical infrastructure. We’ve emphasized a company culture of safety and service.

In the last months of 2022, my successor Brian Bird and I traveled across Montana, Nebraska and South Dakota, meeting with our employees and leaders in each community.  It was an opportunity for me to say thank you for the opportunity to serve and work with them. There is nothing better than working with good people on things that matter.

Our commitment is to look and plan long-term, and to be prepared to meet your energy needs whatever the conditions.  That commitment is most visible when you see our employees responding to blizzards, wind storms and floods, but in fact it’s an every-day-of-the-year and around-the-clock obligation.

The energy landscape is changing and NorthWestern Energy is committed to continuing to provide safe, reliable service at reasonable costs to meet your needs, while working to build a smarter, even cleaner energy future.

Today NorthWestern Energy serves our Montana customers with power from 59% carbon-free hydro, wind and solar resources. Nationwide, 40% of power is from carbon-free resources. The last non-carbon free resource added to our Montana system came online in 2011, designed to help integrate renewables and keep our transmission system stable. It has done just that. In the last decade we have added more than 741 megawatts of carbon-free generation to serve our Montana, most critically the hydro system. We expect about 160 megawatts of solar generation to come on our system soon.  The Montana Public Service Commission has also approved another 500 megawatts of wind or wind-plus-storage projects that will be added to NorthWestern Energy’s system once they are built. And, energy efficiency is an important resource.

Our region faces an increasing probability of deficits in its power supply during the coldest winter nights when the sun isn’t shining and the hottest summer days, when the wind is often not blowing. That’s why we are also committed to adding always-available, long-duration generation – the Yellowstone County Generating Station – and, to continuing the operation of existing units like Colstrip Unit 4 while new technologies become commercially viable.

We work hard to be good stewards of our environment, with programs focused on the health of our rivers, fish, and birds, among many others. And, we have embarked on a realistic and actionable plan to further reduce our overall carbon footprint from already -low levels, while preserving both reliability and affordability, and investing in infrastructure to meet our customers’ needs.

Since 2015 NorthWestern, invested more than $1 billion in the energy infrastructure serving our Montana customers (pipes, wires, transformers and technology). There is extraordinary innovation in this area as well, including using technology, communications and battery storage to continue enhancing reliability, especially for our customers in rural areas.  Under Brian’s leadership, the delivery system will continue to become even smarter.

After I retire, I will continue to be a NorthWestern customer, and care deeply about its success in meeting its responsibilities to our customers. Five years from now, I expect that NorthWestern will be an even stronger partner, supporting the sustainable growth of the states we serve; a long-term steward of the natural resources with which we are entrusted; deploying technology to surprise, delight and empower our customers; serving our customers the way they want to be served; driven by an engaged and committed company culture; all enabled by a purposeful, efficient and forward-looking regulation and a sustainable business model.

Brian Bird has served as NorthWestern Energy’s Chief Financial Officer and most recently as Chief Operating Officer.  He knows our infrastructure, our employees, our communities, and their future needs.  He will work with an exceptional team of leaders focused on serving our customers.

I am excited and optimistic about NorthWestern Energy’s bright future.   Thank you for the opportunity to serve!