Energy Reinvestments in the Intermountain West Can Save Ratepayers Hundreds of Millions

RMI analysis indicates that replacing coal-fired units at the Colstrip Generating Station with a portfolio of solar, wind, and battery storage could save Montana ratepayers between $500 million and $1.17 billion over 30 years. The document urges Northwestern Energy and the Montana Public Service Commission to prioritize coal-to-clean reinvestment and Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) financing in upcoming rate cases and integrated resource plans.

• Replacing coal-fired power units at the Colstrip Generating Station with a portfolio of low-cost, carbon-free resources—including solar, wind, and utility-scale battery storage—could save Montana ratepayers between $500 million and $1.17 billion over a 30-year period while maintaining power reliability.
• RMI recommends that Northwestern Energy and the Montana Public Service Commission utilize Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) financing and securitization strategies within the integrated resource plan (IRP) to optimize resource selection and maximize ratepayer benefits.

APA

Schwartz, A., & Daniel, J. (2025). Energy Reinvestments in the Intermountain West Can Save Ratepayers Hundreds of Millions. RMI. https://rmi.org/resources/energy-reinvestments-in-the-intermountain-west-can-save-ratepayers-hundreds-of-millions-2/

Chicago

Schwartz, Aaron, and Joseph Daniel. Energy Reinvestments in the Intermountain West Can Save Ratepayers Hundreds of Millions. RMI, 2025. https://rmi.org/resources/energy-reinvestments-in-the-intermountain-west-can-save-ratepayers-hundreds-of-millions-2/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Schwartz |first1=Aaron |last2=Daniel |first2=Joseph |title=Energy Reinvestments in the Intermountain West Can Save Ratepayers Hundreds of Millions |publisher=RMI |date=6 March 2025 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/energy-reinvestments-in-the-intermountain-west-can-save-ratepayers-hundreds-of-millions-2/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{schwartz2025energy, author = {Schwartz, Aaron and Daniel, Joseph}, title = {{Energy Reinvestments in the Intermountain West Can Save Ratepayers Hundreds of Millions}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2025}, month = mar, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/energy-reinvestments-in-the-intermountain-west-can-save-ratepayers-hundreds-of-millions-2/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }