BOZEMAN, Mont. – NorthWestern Energy, the utility company serving communities throughout Montana, held a public meeting at the Bozeman Public Library to discuss their 2026 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP).
The meeting focused on evaluating how the utility company plans to meet customer needs for the next 20 years.
Mike Meis, NorthWestern Energy’s Community Relations Manager, explained the process.
“Every three years, required by the Montana Public Service Commission, we have to go through a plan to kind of look at what available generation options for the next twenty years,” said Meis.
A major topic of discussion was the impact of proposed data centers in Montana.
One Bozeman community member shared insights on how these developments might affect customer rates.
“Northwestern claims that these data centers will have no impact on residential customer rates, in fact if anything, they may lower our rates,” said the community member.
The draft IRP identifies data centers as the fastest-growing consumers of electricity, raising concerns among local residents about potential risks.
“The large energy load demanded by data centers, which is pushing the expansion of coal and natural gas projects, will not only threaten energy prices and add unnecessary risks to our grid, but it will also increase the air and water pollution, and threaten the public health of our communities,” said another community member.
While the IRP acknowledges the potential stress data centers could place on planning, it also highlights the possibility of economic growth through increased electricity output.
The meeting provided an opportunity for community members to voice concerns and learn about the future of energy planning in Montana.