coal

The state’s largest utility explained to lawmakers this week why it wants to expand ownership of the Colstrip power plant. NorthWestern Energy plans to own more than half of Colstrip by 2026.

A coalition of Republican Attorneys General have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block new federal regulations for air pollution from coal plants.

A large source of energy generation for Montana’s biggest utility has gone offline while much of the state experiences extreme heat.

Montana senators and congressman have pushed back on new federal regulations saying they unfairly target the coal-fired power plant in Colstrip.

A new report says a Canadian company that runs coal mines north of Montana hasn’t set enough money aside for cleanup. Those mines are sending pollution into Montana waters.

After years of tribes calling on the U.S. and Canada to do something about selenium pollution flowing into Montana, the two governments have struck a deal. An international body will make recommendations on how to settle the boundary-water dispute.

A new study finds that Canadian coal mines contribute nearly all of the selenium found in Lake Koocanusa. For decades, coal mines along British Columbia’s Elk River have sent large amounts of selenium into Lake Koocanusa in northwest Montana.

Every three years Montana’s largest electric utility tells the public how it’s planning to meet energy demands, which is going on now. And it follows a major court ruling that found the state’s energy policy is contributing to climate change. MTPR’s Austin Amestoy sat down with reporter Ellis Juhlin to break down where NorthWestern’s plan fits into the new legal landscape.

The House Taxation Committee is considering a bill that would allocate $30 million of the coal tax fund — a pool of money from taxes on natural resources collected in Montana — to help pay for low-income housing across the state.

Republican Rep. Mike Hopkins, R-Missoula, is the sponsor of House Bill 8, the bill that would authorize state loans for local projects and use the coal-severance tax, or taxes collected on coal mined in Montana, to back those loans.