Wind, solar, and storage provide reliable, cheap energy for hundreds of millions of people all over the world.   For decades, the cost of renewable energy has been falling, and since 2019, renewable energy has been consistently cheaper than fossil fuels.  New solar and wind plants are even cheaper than the cost of operating our existing coal plants! The costs of renewables will continue to fall, while the costs of both coal and methane* are expected to increase.  Furthermore, the wind and sunlight will always be free and will never see price increases due to foreign wars or geopolitical events. If we want to increase our domestic energy production, wind and solar must be part of the answer.

Because wind and solar do not provide continuous power, energy storage is necessary for 24/7 power.  This adds to cost.  The good news is that the cost of battery storage has plummeted over the past decade and will continue to drop. At this point, solar + battery storage is overall cheaper than coal in most cases, (and about the same in Montana).  This led utilities to add a record amount of renewables and battery storage in 2023, with 2024 set to exceed 2023. This is happening in conservative states like Texas as well as progressive states.  Yet NWE has no published plans for new solar, wind, or storage in the next decade, but is instead planning to expand coal and methane generation.

Because of their cost-plus rate structure, as captive customers we are on the hook for every new fossil fuel plant that NWE builds - even if it closes prematurely because it can no longer compete against wind and solar.  Investing in new fossil fuel plants no longer makes sense.