Four Colstrip utilities sue NorthWestern, Talen
NorthWestern Energy believes a unanimous vote among owners is needed in order to close Colstrip, according to a lawsuit filed May 4.
But four other utilities that are plaintiffs in the lawsuit argue the parties can close one of the electric generation units in Colstrip — or both of them — with 55 percent of the ownership vote.
That disagreement is being arbitrated, and a bill signed into law by Gov. Greg Gianforte — retroactively effective to Jan. 1 — tries to mandate negotiations take place in Montana.
The complaint alleges that requirement in Senate Bill 265 is contrary to a longstanding agreement among all the owners of the Colstrip plants about how and where arguments get settled, so the dispute has landed in U.S. District Court in Billings.
Read more: https://dailymontanan.com/2021/05/07/four-colstrip-utilities-sue-northwestern-talen/