NorthWestern Energy Announces Heather H. Grahame to Join the Company as Vice President and General Counsel

NorthWestern Corporation d/b/a NorthWestern Energy today announced that Heather H. Grahame will be joining the company on August 2, 2010, as Vice President and General Counsel. In her role, Grahame will assume leadership of the Legal, Risk Management, Records Management and Corporate Governance functions of the Company. Timothy P. Olson, who has been serving as Interim General Counsel since January 2010, will retain the role of Corporate Secretary and will report to Grahame.

“We have spent the past few months conducting a comprehensive search for a General Counsel and are very pleased that Heather has chosen to join the NorthWestern team. She brings significant insight and experience in many areas of law including the very important area of public utility law. The need to work together to find sustainable energy solutions has never been greater. Heather’s experience and history of establishing constructive, substantive approaches to key legal and regulatory matters matches up perfectly with the way we prefer to address important subjects,” said Bob Rowe, NorthWestern Energy president and CEO. “I am also pleased that Tim has agreed to continue in the role of Corporate Secretary, where he has put his experience and judgment concerning sound corporate governance to great use,” Rowe added.

Grahame, 55, has more than 26 years of legal experience, 20 years of which has focused on public utility law. Prior to joining NorthWestern, Grahame was a veteran partner in Dorsey & Whitney, LLP, where she co-chaired its Telecommunications practice. Grahame, who currently resides in Anchorage, Alaska, has been recognized repeatedly as a leading attorney in the United States. She is the author of numerous presentations and articles covering a range of topics from climate change to shifts in national policy. Grahame also has been recognized for her pro bono service. Grahame holds a B.A. in Human Biology from Stanford and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Oregon School of Law.

About NorthWestern Energy

NorthWestern Energy is one of the largest providers of electricity and natural gas in the Upper Midwest and Northwest, serving approximately 661,000 customers in Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. For more information about NorthWestern Energy, visit our Web site at http://www.northwesternenergy.com.