NorthWestern Energy

{{Infobox company

|name = NorthWestern Corporation

|logo = NorthWestern_Energy_logo.svg

|logo_size =

|type = Public

|traded_as = {{nasdaq|NWE}}
S&P 400 Component

|foundation = {{start date and age|1923|11|27}} (as Northwestern Public Service Company)

|location_city = Sioux Falls, South Dakota

|founder = Albert Emanuel

|location_country = United States

|location =

|locations =

|key_people = E. Linn Draper Jr. (chairman)
Robert C. Rowe (president and CEO)

|area_served = Eastern South Dakota, Western Montana

|industry = Utilities

|products = utility operations consist of regulated electric and natural gas distribution, transmission and energy supply. In addition, they are pursuing electric transmission and generation opportunities.

|services = Conventional electricity
Natural gas

|revenue =

|operating_income =

|net_income =

|num_employees = 1,600

|parent =

|divisions =

|subsid =

|caption =

|homepage = {{URL|https://northwesternenergy.com/}}

|dissolved =

|footnotes =

}}

NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. is a utility company that serves South Dakota, Nebraska, and Montana that is based in Sioux Falls. {{As of|2019}}, the company serves approximately 718,000 customers.[http://www.northwesternenergy.com/our-company/our-company NorthWestern Energy – Our Company] The company's corporate headquarters are located in Sioux Falls while the headquarters for the South Dakota operations (and which was the headquarters for the old NorthWestern Public Service Company) are in Huron, South Dakota.

History

The Montana operations (formerly known as the Montana Power Company) were acquired around 2000 after that state passed legislation allowing the electric utility industry to be 'unbundled'. Out of state investors (led by PP&L Resources) then immediately acquired the generation assets of Montana Power, leaving that part of the territory vulnerable to high "spot" prices on the energy market (creating some chronic discontent that led the Montana Public Service Commission to submit the one "no" vote that effectively nullified a potential sale of NorthWestern to Babcock & Brown of Australia). In 2014, NorthWestern purchased the dams that were originally part of Montana Power for $900 Million from PPL Corporation.[http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/2014/11/northwestern-energy-closes-deal-to-purchase-ppl-montana-hydroelectric-facilities.html NorthWestern Energy closes deal to purchase PPL Montana hydroelectric facilities]

Controversies

In March, 2003, a class action was filed against Northwestern Corp, claiming that defendants artificially inflated the stock price through material omissions and materially false and misleading statements. A $41 million settlement fund was established in 2005.{{cite news |last1=Walker |first1=Carson |title=Federal judge gives go-ahead to NorthWestern settlement plan |url=https://mtstandard.com/news/local/federal-judge-gives-go-ahead-to-northwestern-settlement-plan/article_1b85d924-e0eb-57a4-a865-99260791bc1b.html |access-date=15 February 2025 |work=Montana Standard |agency=Associated Press |date=14 December 2004 |language=en}}

In March 2009, NorthWestern Energy was involved with a gas explosion in Bozeman, Montana. The explosion destroyed several businesses and killed one person. By November, the company was sued by numerous owners of the destroyed businesses.{{cite web|title=Explosion|url=http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/article_9d559a14-2729-11df-8d23-001cc4c03286.html|access-date=2013-02-22|website=Bozeman Daily Chronicle|date=4 March 2010 }}