NorthWestern Energy’s Electricity Supply And Bankruptcy Plan Meeting 5/25 – Missoula

2004-05-25 18:00:00
Doubletree Hotel Missoula

Public Service Commission Chairman Bob Rowe will hold a public meeting in
Missoula on Tuesday, May 25, to provide information about NorthWestern
Energy’s electricity supply plan and to hear public comments on it.

Immediately following the meeting on the supply plan, Rowe will conduct
an informational meeting on the NorthWestern bankruptcy proceeding to
update citizens on the status of the bankruptcy and to answer questions.

The meeting will be at 6 p.m. at the Doubletree Hotel Missoula Edgewater
in the University of Montana Room, 100 Madison Street.

At the supply plan meeting, Rowe will provide general background about the
plan and a brief description of the PSC process for reviewing it.

Representatives of NorthWestern Energy will be available to answer
questions and provide information, as will representatives from the
Montana Consumer Counsel.

According to Rowe, "The PSC’s electric portfolio guidelines were
developed through a collaborative, with active participation from many
perspectives.† As we review NorthWestern’s first plan filed under the
guidelines I also want to give citizens every chance to participate."

Rowe said, "I’m also looking forward to a lively discussion of the
bankruptcy."

NorthWestern is required to procure electricity to meet the needs of its
current and future customers and to submit a plan to the PSC indicating
how it intends to procure the electricity. The PSC’s default supply
planning and procurement rules encourage the utility to pursue multiple
objectives, including adequate reliable power supplies, an environmentally
responsible portfolio of resources, the lowest long-term total cost,
stable prices, economically efficient prices and reasonable prices. The
PSC is required to review the plan, take public comment, and identify
concerns with the plan and ways to remedy them.

Persons interested in reviewing the plan can access it at
http://www.montnanenergyforum.com/

This NorthWestern website contains the complete plan, a guide to
understanding the plan, a glossary, and a method of providing comments
electronically to the company regarding the plan. Persons interested in
commenting on the plan electronically may do so directly to NorthWestern
at the above site, or may comment to the PSC at 1701 Prospect Avenue, P.O.
Box 202601, Helena, MT 59620-2601, or electronically at
http://psc.state.mt.us/consumers/comments

For more information, contact:

Bob Rowe – 406-444-6167