OPEN SEASON INFORMATION:
Demand for electricity in the western U.S. continues to increase and will require additional generation and transmission resources. National political attention continues to focus on the deficiencies of the nation's transmission system. NorthWestern Energy is committed to facilitate a process by which proposed generation facilities in Montana could move generation capacity to markets both inside and outside of Montana. The benefits to generators, customers and the state of Montana could be substantial. Of the significant amount of proposed generation capacity (i.e., 2 to 3 times Montana load) on the drawing board in Montana, very little will be able to come online without extensive transmission system infrastructure development. As a result, NorthWestern pursued the development of an Open Season or subscription process to facilitate potential new generators interest in expansion of the existing transmission path from Montana to Idaho.
The National Energy Policy Act enacted by Congress in 2005 took important steps to strengthen the nation's electric power grid. Congress also authorized mandatory reliability and interconnection standards, and directed the Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct a nationwide study of electric transmission congestion of currents systems, which was completed in August 2006. One of the areas of congestion that was identified in the study was the Montana, Idaho and Northwest Region, including the southwestern Montana to Idaho transmission corridor.