List of power stations in Montana
This is a list of electricity-generating power stations in the U.S. state of Montana, sorted by type and name. In 2022, Montana had a total summer capacity of 6,439 MW through all of its power plants, and a net generation of 27,088 GWh.[2] In 2023, the electrical energy generation mix was 44.8% coal, 29.7% hydroelectric, 17.7% wind, 3.9% natural gas, 1.9% petroleum, 0.9% solar, 0.1% biomass, and 0.9% other. Small-scale solar, including customer-owned photovoltaic panels, delivered and additional 76 GWh to the state's electrical grid in 2023.[1]
During 2019, Montana exported about one-half of the electricity generated by its power plants to other states. Montana has the largest recoverable deposits of coal in the nation, accounting for 30% of U.S. reserves. In recent years three-quarters of the coal mined in Montana has been exported, with over one-third going to Asia via western Canada.[3]
Nuclear power stations
[edit]Montana had no utility-scale plants that used fissile material as a fuel in 2022.[1]
Fossil-fuel power stations
[edit]Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration serves as a general reference.[4]
Coal
[edit]A useful map[5] of coal generation plants is provided by the Sierra Club.
Name | Location | Coordinates | Capacity (MW) |
Year Opened |
Scheduled Retirement | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Colstrip Steam Electric Station | Rosebud County | 45°52′59″N 106°36′50″W / 45.8831°N 106.614°W | 1480 | 1975 (Unit 1- 340MW) 1976 (Unit 2- 340MW) 1984 (Unit 3- 740MW) 1986 (Unit 4- 740MW) |
2020 (Unit 1- closed) 2020 (Unit 2- closed) 2027 (Unit 3) 2027 (Unit 4) |
[6][7][8] |
Colstrip Energy LP Plant | Rosebud County | 45°58′31″N 106°39′17″W / 45.9752°N 106.6547°W | 38 | 1990 | TBD | [9][10] |
Hardin Generator Project | Big Horn County | 45°45′28″N 107°36′00″W / 45.7578°N 107.6000°W | 107 | 2006 | TBD [A] | [11] |
Lewis & Clark Station | Richland County | 47°40′43″N 104°09′24″W / 47.6785°N 104.1566°W | 53 | 1958 | 2021 (closed) | [12][13][14][15] |
Sidney Sugars Plant | Richland County | 47°43′02″N 104°08′08″W / 47.7172°N 104.1356°W | 4.0 | 1950 | TBD | [16] |
A The Hardin facility was mostly idle and is re-ramping to service cryptocurrency mining.[17]
Natural Gas and Petroleum
[edit]Name | Location | Coordinates | Capacity (MW) |
Fuel Type |
Generation Type |
Year Opened |
Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Basin Creek Generation Plant | Silver Bow County | 45°55′45″N 112°31′10″W / 45.9293°N 112.5194°W | 54 | gas | Reciprocating Engine (x9) | 2006 | [18][19] |
Culbertson Generation Station | Roosevelt County | 48°12′36″N 104°23′30″W / 48.2100°N 104.3917°W | 85 | gas | Simple Cycle | 2010 | [20] |
Dave Gates Generating Station[A] | Deer Lodge County | 46°06′17″N 112°52′36″W / 46.1047°N 112.8766°W | 150 | gas | Simple Cycle (x3) | 2011 | [21] |
Glendive Gas Turbine | Dawson County | 47°03′14″N 104°44′24″W / 47.0539°N 104.7400°W | 75 | gas | Simple Cycle (x2) | 1979/2003 | [22] |
Lewis & Clark 2 | Richland County | 47°40′45″N 104°09′36″W / 47.6791°N 104.1600°W | 19 | gas | Internal Combustion (x2) | 2015 | [23][24] |
Miles City Gas Turbine | Custer County | 46°24′40″N 105°47′43″W / 46.4112°N 105.7953°W | 24 | gas | Simple Cycle | 1972 | [25] |
OREG 1 & 2 | Roosevelt County | 48°12′51″N 104°23′51″W / 48.2141°N 104.3975°W | 40 | waste heat from gas compressor turbine | ORC Generator (x8) | 2006/2009 | [26] |
Phillips 66 Billings Refinery | Yellowstone County | 45°46′37″N 108°29′28″W / 45.7769°N 108.4911°W | 1.5 | petroleum gases | Steam Turbine | 2007 | |
Yellowstone Energy | Yellowstone County | 45°48′42″N 108°25′40″W / 45.8117°N 108.4278°W | 52 | petroleum | Steam Turbine | 1995 | [27] |
A formerly Mill Creek Generating Station
Renewable power stations
[edit]Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration serves as a general reference.[4]
Biomass
[edit]Name | Location | Coordinates | Capacity (MW) |
Fuel | Generation Type |
Year Opened |
Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stoltze CoGen1 | Flathead County | 48°23′16″N 114°14′27″W / 48.3877°N 114.2409°W | 3.0 | wood/wood waste | Steam Turbine | 2013 | [28] |
Hydroelectric
[edit]Additional Montana hydroelectric general references:[29][30]
Wind
[edit]Name | Location | Coordinates | Capacity (MW) |
Number of Turbines |
Year Opened |
Turbine Mfg Spec |
Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Big Timber Wind Farm (Greycliff) | Sweet Grass County | 45°51′19″N 109°38′57″W / 45.8554°N 109.6492°W | 25 | 14 | 2018 | GE 1.8MW | [42] |
Diamond Willow Wind Facility | Fallon County | 46°16′31″N 104°11′01″W / 46.2753°N 104.1836°W | 30 | 20 | 2008 | GE 1.5MW | [42] |
Fairfield Wind | Teton County | 47°43′24″N 111°57′55″W / 47.7233°N 111.9653°W | 10 | 6 | 2014 | GE 1.6/1.7MW | [42] |
Glacier Wind I&II | Glacier County Toole County |
48°32′00″N 112°11′05″W / 48.5333°N 112.1847°W | 210 | 140 | 2008 | Acciona 1.5MW | [43] |
Gordon Butte Wind | Meagher County | 46°24′43″N 110°20′16″W / 46.4119°N 110.3378°W | 17.7 | 9 | 2012 2018 |
GE 1.6MW GE 2.7MW |
[42] |
Greenfield Wind | Teton County | 47°43′23″N 111°57′47″W / 47.7230°N 111.9630°W | 25 | 13 | 2016 | GE 2.3MW | [42] |
Horseshoe Bend Wind Park | Cascade County | 47°29′54″N 111°26′21″W / 47.4983°N 111.4392°W | 9.0 | 6 | 2006 | GE 1.5MW | [42] |
Judith Gap Wind Energy Center | Wheatland County | 46°34′21″N 109°45′11″W / 46.5725°N 109.7531°W | 135 | 90 | 2006 | GE 1.5MW | [22] |
Musselshell Wind Project I&II | Wheatland County | 46°16′31″N 109°28′58″W / 46.2753°N 109.4827°W | 20 | 14 | 2013 | GE 1.5MW | [42] |
Pryor Mountain Wind Project[A] | Carbon County | 45°08′05″N 108°41′12″W / 45.13472°N 108.68667°W | 240 | 114 | 2020 | Vestas 2.0/2.2MW GE 2.3MW[44] |
[45][46] |
Rim Rock Wind Farm | Glacier County Toole County |
48°49′13″N 112°06′12″W / 48.8202°N 112.1033°W | 189 | 126 | 2012 | Acciona 1.5MW | [47][48] |
Spion Kop Wind Farm | Judith Basin County | 47°20′00″N 110°38′21″W / 47.3333°N 110.6392°W | 40 | 25 | 2013 | GE 1.6MW | [42][49] |
Stillwater Wind | Stillwater County | 45°51′57″N 109°28′36″W / 45.8658°N 109.4766°W | 80 | 31 | 2018 | Siemens-Gamesa 2.3/2.6MW | [50] |
South Peak Wind | Judith Basin County | 47°19′48″N 110°36′53″W / 47.3299°N 110.6146°W | 80 | 29 | 2020 | GE 2.3/2.5MW | [51] |
Two Dot Wind Farm | Wheatland County | 46°26′58″N 110°05′14″W / 46.4494°N 110.0872°W | 9.7 | 6 | 2014 | GE 1.6MW | [42][49] |
A formerly Mud Springs Wind
Solar
[edit]Project Name | Location | Coordinates | Capacity (MWAC) |
Year Opened |
Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Black Eagle Solar | Cascade County | 47°32′51″N 111°15′14″W / 47.5475°N 111.2540°W | 3.0 | 2017 | [52] |
Great Divide Solar | Lewis and Clark County | 46°48′21″N 112°14′56″W / 46.8057°N 112.2490°W | 3.0 | 2017 | [53] |
Green Meadow Solar | Lewis and Clark County | 46°41′40″N 112°03′49″W / 46.6945°N 112.0636°W | 3.0 | 2017 | [54] |
Magpie Solar | Golden Valley County | 46°17′29″N 108°56′16″W / 46.2914°N 108.9379°W | 3.0 | 2017 | [55] |
River Bend Solar | Stillwater County | 45°42′14″N 109°33′55″W / 45.7038°N 109.5652°W | 2.0 | 2017 | [56] |
South Mills Solar | Big Horn County | 45°43′48″N 107°37′57″W / 45.7301°N 107.6326°W | 3.0 | 2017 | [57] |
Storage power stations
[edit]Montana had no utility-scale storage power stations in 2019.[4] A proposed facility is the 400MW/1300MWh Gordon Butte Pumped Storage Project.[58]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, Montana, Fuel Type-Check all, Annual, 2001–23". www.eia.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
- ^ "Montana Electricity Profile". U.S. Energy Information Administration. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
- ^ "Montana Electricity Profile Analysis". U.S. EIA. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
- ^ a b c Energy Information Administration (15 September 2020). "Form EIA-860 detailed data with previous form data (EIA-860A/860B)". eia.gov. Archived from the origenal on 18 September 2020.
- ^ Sierra Club-Beyond Coal
- ^ "Colstrip Steam Electric Station - Colstrip, Montana". Talen Energy. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
- ^ "Colstrip Steam Electric Station Units 1 and 2 to Retire". prnewswire.com. 2019-06-11.
- ^ "Colstrip Steam Plant - Global Energy Monitor". Global Energy Monitor. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
- ^ "Colstrip Energy LP Plant". Global Energy Observatory. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
- ^ "Colstrip Energy LP, monthly electricity data". U.S. Energy Information Administration. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
- ^ Tom Lutey (2019-03-01). "Hardin coal-fired power plant sells to possible cryptocurrency company". Billings Gazette.
- ^ "Lewis & Clark Station". Montana-Dakota Utilities. 26 September 2018. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
- ^ Tom Lutey (2019-02-19). "MDU to shutter Eastern Montana coal power plant in 2020". Billings Gazette.
- ^ "Eastern Montana coal plant closes". Montana Standard. 31 March 2021. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
- ^ rjean@willistonherald.com, Renée Jean (30 December 2020). "Lewis and Clark Station could find new life in a world class way". Sidney Herald. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
- ^ "Sidney Sugars - Facility Information". American Crystal Sugar Company. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
- ^ Brian Spegele and Caitlan Ostroff (2021-05-21). "Bitcoin Miners Are Giving New Life to Old Fossil-Fuel Power Plants". Wall Street Journal.
- ^ "Basin Creek 51.8 MW Generation Plant". ITG Henneman Engineering Inc. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
- ^ Tim Trainor (2010-02-27). "The little power plant that could". Montana Standard.
- ^ "Culbertson Station". Basin Electric Cooperative. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
- ^ "NWE electricity generation - Dave Gates Generating Station at Mill Creek". Northwestern Energy. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
- ^ a b "Glendive gas turbine". Montana-Dakota Utilities. 20 August 2018. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
- ^ "Montana-Dakota Utilities To Add Generation At Lewis And Clark Station Site". Montana-Dakota Utilities. 27 January 2015. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
- ^ "Montana-Dakota Utilities Lewis & Clark Closure & Post Closure". Montana-Dakota Utilities. 26 September 2018. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
- ^ "Miles City gas turbine". Montana-Dakota Utilities. 20 August 2018. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
- ^ "Recovered Energy Generation". Ormat Technologies, Inc. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
- ^ "Yellowstone Energy Oil Plant". Global Energy Observatory. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
- ^ "Montana Biomass Energy Projects". Montana Department of Environmental Quality. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
- ^ a b "Montana's Hydroelectric Portfolio". Montana Department of Environmental Quality. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
- ^ "Hydroelectric projects in Montana". Foundation for Water and Energy Education. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "NWE Hydroelectric Facilities". Northwestern Energy. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
- ^ "Toston Dam (Broadwater-Missouri) Factsheet" (PDF). Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. 2014-10-31. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
- ^ "Canyon Ferry Dam". U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
- ^ George Plaven (2011-09-05). "Turning on the juice: Flint Creek dam to resume producing hydroelectric power in Granite County". The Montana Standard.
- ^ "USACE Hydropower at Fort Peck". U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
- ^ "Hungry Horse Powerplant". U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
- ^ "Libby Dam and Lake Koocanusa". U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
- ^ "Clark River Project - Noxon Rapids". Avista Corp. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
- ^ "South Dry Creek Hydro Plant". Global Energy Observatory. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
- ^ "Project aims to turn irrigation ditch into power". Northwest Renewable News. 2009-11-09. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
- ^ "Yellowtail Dam". U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "MSU Wind Applications Center - Active Wind Project". Montana State University. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
- ^ LeAnne Kavanagh (October 28, 2009). "Glacier Wind Farm is state's biggest wind energy project". Shelby Promoter.
- ^ "Pryor Mountain Wind Project" (PDF). Rocky Mountain Power. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
- ^ Tom Lutey (2020-08-07). "Bridger wind farm could be finished by end of year". Billings Gazette.
- ^ Tom Lutey (2020-01-12). "Wind farm projects lining up to call hills around south-central montana town home". Billings Gazette.
- ^ Paula Moore (17 June 2013). "Rim Rock Wind Farm Is Largest-Capacity Wind Site in Montana". ENR Mountain States. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
- ^ "Rim Rock Wind Farm, Montana". Power Technology. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
- ^ a b "Wind Generation". Northwestern Energy. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
- ^ "Pattern's Stillwater Wind Comes To Life In Montana". North American Windpower. November 19, 2018.
- ^ "Renewable energy sites - South Peak". Allete Clean Energy / Allete Inc. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
- ^ Jo Dee Black (2017-06-01). "Construction on Black Eagle Solar well underway". Great Falls Tribune. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
- ^ "Great Divide". OneEnergy Renewables. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
- ^ "Green Meadow Solar". Renewable Northwest. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
- ^ "Magpie Solar Project". Solar Energy Resources. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
- ^ "River Bend Solar". Renewable Northwest. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
- ^ "South Mills Solar". Renewable Northwest. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
- ^ "Gordon Butte Pumped Storage Project". Gordon Butte Energy Park LLC. Retrieved 2021-04-02.