[MCN] Ratepayers Rebellion Next Monday

[Jeffrey J. Smith]

350 Montana

P.O. Box 7006

Missoula, MT 59807





*For Immediate Release:
            For more info:*

Thursday, December 5, 2019
   Jeff Smith,


(406) *880-8320*



*Ratepayer Rebellion Rally!*

*Ratepayers to tell the MT Public Service Commission, ‘Montana Can Lead’*



*Missoula, MT.* On Monday, December 9, at noon, outside the Public Service
Commission (PSC) office in Helena (1701 Prospect Ave) 350 Montana, with
citizens and allies, will hold a Ratepayer Rebellion Rally emphasizing
that, *“Montana Can Lead.”*



Speakers from around the state, including some 2020 PSC candidates running
for open seats, will ask the PSC to listen to ratepayers’ public comments
regarding NorthWestern Energy’s Resource Procurement Plan, currently in
front of the PSC for their comments and input. The PSC is open for comments
on NorthWestern Energy’s 20-year Procurement Plan until January 3, but will
hold the only mandated Public Hearings following the Rally at 1:30pm and
5:00pm.



*“*It is the job of the Public Service Commission to provide Montanans with
affordable and reliable energy at a just rate. To do so, the company must
model Montana's real world conditions,” said Jeff Smith, Co-Chair of 350
Montana. “Even NorthWestern's vice president, Michael Cushell, says
Colstrip will be closing within the decade. The company's procurement plan
must be a complete work of fiction because it says the company will rely on
Colstrip through 2042. I don't see how the PSC could authorize any new
acquisitions paid for by the ratepayers without an accurate Colstrip
shutdown date and comprehensive modeling of lower-cost wind and solar
energy backed by battery storage.”



NorthWestern Energy (NWE) wants to build a fleet of expensive fracked gas
power plants, continue using a filthy coal-fired power plant for 20 years,
and force Montana families and small businesses to pay for all of it. No
significant renewable energy advances are being proposed.



350 Montana members see stark insufficiencies on multiple levels of this
procurement plan and will urge the PSC to work with the utility to remedy
the following:



            • NWE does not give a cost analysis of their existing
resources, which leaves ratepayers in the dark on whether or not what they
are paying for is an undue burden. *Request that NorthWestern Energy model
cost-effectiveness for all their generating assets to determine if
customers are getting a fair shake.*



            • NWE proposes building 800 MW of new gas peaker plants that
will only hypothetically be used during a few hours of ultra-high demand.
This is a gross waste of ratepayer dollars and is not as cost-effective as
wind, solar, storage, and demand-side management when evaluated together in
a system. It is unwise to spend money on carbon-intensive purchases when
other utilities around the west are accounting for a renewable energy
transition. *Request that NWE consider opportunities like pumped hydro
storage to address peak demand and/or new solar projects coupled with
battery storage, not more gas plants that will cost ratepayers and line the
pockets of shareholders.*



Deficiencies 350 Montana members will ask the PSC to request NWE to add to
their plan include:



            • Failing to identify, manage, and mitigate the risk that the
Colstrip power plant will go offline within the 20-year planning
horizon. *Request
NWE add it to the plan.*



            • Failing to include the cost of gas pipelines in the cost
assumption for building and   operating gas-fired power plants. NWE has
previously stated new gas pipelines would be    necessary to operate any
significant new gas power plants on its system, however these        costs
were not included in the plan. *Request NWE add it to the plan.*



            • Failing to include costs for a Colstrip decommissioning and
cleanup plan for NWE’s current and future responsibilities of the coal ash
ponds clean-up after Colstrip shuts down, to remediate these wastes for the
citizens of Colstrip. A recent editorial in the *Billing Gazette *mentioned
that estimated $20 million in repairs is needed to Colstrip Power Plant
Unit 4 because the super-heated portion of the boiler is showing signs of
metallurgical wear and degradation. *Request NWE add it to the plan.*



“Montana can lead the global transition to clean energy. We are blessed
with amazing resources for harnessing renewables: wind, sun, water, and
elevation—all of which add up to a strong energy future,” said Winona
Bateman, founder of Families for a Livable Climate. “We can create jobs and
income for rural Montanans, lower costs for ratepayers, and keep our water,
land, and big sky country safe from fossil fuel spills and pollution to
ensure a livable future for all families. We can lead, and if we lead, the
world will be watching.”



350 Montana works to reduce atmospheric CO2 concentrations to 350 ppm by
implementing strategic actions and advocating policies to end fossil fuel
burning with the greatest urgency.



For more information on 350 Montana, or to make a comment on the NWE
Procurement Plan visit: *www.350montana.org <http://www.350montana.org>.*





###
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://bigskynet.org/pipermail/missoula-community-news_bigskynet.org/attachments/20191205/73050cb5/attachment.html>