NorthWestern Energy considering buying PPL power plants. PSC commissioner skeptical company has assets for deal

NorthWestern Energy is considering making an offer to buy power plants from PPL Montana, the other big piece of the former Montana Power Co., NorthWestern CEO and president Mike Hanson said Friday.

Such a move faces many hurdles. The two companies would have to agree on a price, get approval from regulators and convince lawmakers to change the 1997 deregulation law that allowed the former Montana Power Co. to split apart in the first place.

But Hanson told The Associated Press Friday that NorthWestern is looking at that possibility as one of many options to bring more stable energy prices to Montanans.

By MATT GOURAS
Associated Press Writer

Full Story: http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060325/NEWS01/603250302/1002

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NorthWestern sells equipment from unfinished power plant

By JO DEE BLACK
Tribune Staff Writer

Two turbines and other equipment sitting unused for four years at an unfinished power plant north of Great Falls are off to a new location.

NorthWestern Energy sold the equipment to an undisclosed buyer for about $20 million.

The utility company also has an agreement with a different buyer for the plant site and an air quality permit that goes with it.

"The agreement is for an option to purchase, but the purchase is not complete yet," said Claudia Rapkoch, NorthWestern’s spokeswoman. She declined to name the potential buyer.

A year ago, NorthWestern announced that someone was interested in the site for development of a gas-fired electrical generation plant. But the buyer didn’t want the equipment at the site.

Full Story: http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060325/BUSINESS/603250316/1046