Colstrip coal-fired power plant

A coal community in Rosebud County is caught in a nationwide shift away from fossil fuels and towards more renewable energy, posing the longtime question of what’s in store for the future of Colstrip?

The Pacific Northwest co-owners of the Colstrip coal-fired power plant are seeking protection from a new Montana law they say hurts their chances at negotiating their business dealings

The state of Montana and the operator of the Colstrip coal-fired power plant have come to a tentative agreement on how to remove pollution at the plant’s two retired units.

The residents of Colstrip rely on the local coal-fired power plant pumping in clean drinking water from the Yellowstone River. The plant uses the water for its operations, but also sends some of it to town. This means there are major questions about what will happen to the local water supply if the plant ever shuts down.

This week we’re watching a mounting dispute over separation of powers between the Legislature and the Montana Supreme Court. We’re also watching the debate on a bill that would incentivize the state’s largest utility to buy more of the Colstrip coal-fired power plant.

A proposed investigation into transitioning Montana’s Colstrip coal-fired power plant from coal to nuclear power drew widespread support Thursday at a Senate committee hearing.

NorthWestern Energy, Montana’s largest utility, will assume the entire cost of replacement power for roughly three months in 2018 when part of the Colstrip Steam Electric Station was taken offline after it violated federal clean air laws.

Montana’s largest electric utility says another company is hedging in on its plan to purchase a greater share of the Colstrip coal-fired power plant.…