Clearway Energy Signs PPA with Puget Sound Energy for Montana Wind Output

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Clearway Energy Incorporated (NYSE:CWEN) (San Francisco, California) had reason to celebrate this week when its planned Haymaker Windfarm in Montana struck a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Washington-based utility Puget Sound Energy (PSE) (Bellevue). Haymaker will supplement power from another Montana windfarm being constructed by PSE as well as other renewable projects throughout the state.

The Haymaker Windfarm will be located in Wheatland and Meagher counties, in the center of the state. All of the plant's output, 315 megawatts (MW), will be designated to PSE for 25 years. The construction start has seen some slippage since Industrial Info began covering the project, but Clearway now says it is planned to begin in 2026, putting the windfarm on track to begin supplying power in 2028. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.

PSE has had a long presence in Montana. The company owns a 25% stake in the Colstrip Generating Station, a coal-fired plant in Rosebud County. Units 1 and 2 of the plant were retired in early 2020, leaving units 3 and 4 with a combined generating capacity of more than 1,400 MW. In 2019, Washington mandated that all its utilities remove coal from their generation mix, including power generated in other states. In May this year, PSE chose not to purchase from Colstrip and intends to sell its stake in the plant. The remaining units are planned to be closed within the next five years. Subscribers can click here for the plant profile.

Despite its exit from Colstrip, PGE intends to maintain an active presence in Montana, and in June the company completed assembly of the first turbine at the Beaver Creek Windfarm in Stillwater County. The facility will use 88 turbines, each rated at about 2.8 MW, to provide nameplate generation of 248 MW. Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firm Wanzek Construction Incorporated (Fargo, North Dakota) is expected to complete the facility next summer. The windfarm will be able to take advantage of existing PGE transmission facilities. Subscribers can click here to learn more about the project.

PGE isn't the only renewable developer establishing facilities in Montana. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Montana ranked in the top 10 of U.S. states for its share of renewable energy generation, which came in at about 50% in 2023, although coal still accounted for about 45% of overall generation. The state has a strong hydropower sector. Among the largest hydro projects planned in the state is the addition of a sixth turbine-generator unit by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the Libby Hydropower Station in Lincoln County. Work on the unit is planned to begin later this summer. The original powerhouse at the Libby dam was constructed with slots for eight turbines. Four turbines were installed in 1976, and a fifth followed in 1984. Now, a sixth is being added, although according to one source, the unit will help provide stable discharge only when another unit is offline and will not increase the Libby facility's overall generation capacity.

Work on the sixth turbine is expected to commence this summer, putting it on track to begin generating power in early 2026. After the completion of the turbine, the Corps of Engineers is planning a generator rewind for units 1-5 at the facility to improve performance and reliability, a project that is expected to last more than two years. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the reports on the turbine installation and generator rewinds.

With the nation's largest reserves of coal, Montana's natural gas use has been low, and the state ranks as one of the five lowest gas consumers in the U.S. However, a natural gas-fired project in the state is being constructed specifically to help balance the intermittent nature of renewable generation with easily stopped and started fossil fuel generation. NorthWestern Corporation (NASDAQ:NWE) (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) is installing 18 natural gas-fired reciprocating internal combustion engines (RICE) that can ramp up quickly with multiple stops and starts daily as needed. The RICE at the Yellowstone County Generating Station near Laurel will be able to provide up to 175 MW of power when needed. EPC contractor Burns & McDonnell Incorporated (Kansas City, Missouri) began work on the project in 2022 and is expected to complete it in the coming months. Subscribers can click here to learn more.

Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to view reports for all of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).