Friday is the last day to comment on NWE's 2009 Procurment Plan

Back in June, NorthWestern Energy released their 2009 Resource Procurement Plan which sets out their prefered energy supply portfolio. These plans are supposed to come about every 2 years, and this was the first one since NorthWestern Energy regained the ability to own generation assets in 2007 from the Montana Legislature (i believe). 

Basically the plan is a methodical analysis of where the utility plans to get energy from over the next 20 years. Will they rely on market based purchases?  Aquire wind or coal plants?  Or build natural gas? 

The PSC, as part of the docket, is receiving public comments on the plan.  Comments must be e-filed here, by Friday October 1st.  This is your chance to tell NorthWestern Energy and the MT PSC which direction NorthWestern Energy should go. 

If i have time, i may add some general thoughts about the plan and what I think it means for Montanans.  But, i found the following chart fascinating.  It shows, all else constant, the adding new wind is the cheapest "Base Cost" portfolio (Portfolios PF11, 52 & 53). 

The Hearing Aftermath of NorthWestern Energy's Rate Case

NorthWestern Energy has made the first post hearing filing in the voluminous PSC docket dedicated to determining future natural gas and electrical delivery rates in Montana.  The filing is a late filed exhibit which provide the sample calculations for how NorthWestern Energy's revenue would be calculated with decoupling.

I did not have a chance to watch the proceedings in detail, but i got the sense that the PSC was anxious over implementing decoupling during a period of slack consumer demand.

Anyway, here is there proposed calculation.