Power Generating Plant Considered
By Erin Nicholes, The Montana Standard, Butte
Jan. 23–ANACONDA — NorthWestern Energy wants to build a $100 million power generation plant at Mill Creek, company officials announced Wednesday.
“This is not a for-sure project; we’re examining the feasibility of the project,” said Bill Rhoads, NorthWestern’s director of Montana production.
But even the possibility of the natural-gas fired plant, which would be used to stabilize the existing grid, was enough to get Anaconda officials enthused.
“Wow,” Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Chief Executive Rebecca Guay said of millions of dollars in potential tax revenue. “It will help fill out the county coffers and at the same time will help reduce taxes for regular people.” The proposal arose Wednesday night during a joint meeting of the Anaconda-Deer Lodge Local Development Corp. and county officials to discuss economic development progress.
The plant, which would provide less than 10 jobs in the long-term, would be located on 60 acres of NorthWestern property adjacent the Mill Creek substation, south of Anaconda.
After considering several locations, the company chose to pursue the Anaconda site because of its proximity to natural gas supply, a railroad and water, plus existing environmental issues, spokesman John Fitzpatrick said.
The land on which the plant would sit is already contaminated from the Anaconda Co.’s historic copper smelting operations.
However, the plant would require an air-quality permit from the state Department of Environmental Quality. The details of the permit application, which the company plans to assemble in March, are unknown as the company has not yet decided exactly which turbines and other equipment it will use, Fitzpatrick said.
The plant would be used to supplement the existing power grid.
“Every time you turn on the light the load goes up,” Fitzpatrick said. “This takes care of the fluctuation in the load from second to second. It will have the ability to stabilize a part of our portfolio of energy prices — and provide more opportunities to buy renewables” such as wind energy.
The public will have opportunities to learn about and provide input on the project in coming months. NorthWestern plans to hold informational meetings, and the Department of Environmental Quality’s permitting process includes public comment periods.
If all goes as planned for NorthWestern, the company would break ground on the plant in 2009, and would put it into service in 2010.
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