North Dakota conservation rebates available

Montana-Dakota Utilities now has conservation rebates available to its North Dakota natural gas  and electric customers.  These programs are funded through the American Recovery Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and administered through the North Dakota Department of Commerce. Additional information can be found on the North Dakota Conservation page.

Montana-Dakota also offers conservation rebates in Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming.

N.D. PSC approves Big Stone II development costs settlement

The North Dakota Public Service Commission approved on June 25 a settlement agreement with Montana-Dakota Utilities and Commission Staff regarding development costs for the Big Stone II electric generation project. The agreement allows for recovery of North Dakota’s share of the costs, approximately $9.6 million, over a three-year period.

Recovery is on a per kilowatt hour basis through the fuel cost adjustment. For a residential customer using 750 kwh per month, the increase will be about $1.50 a month. The charge will begin on Aug. 1, 2010.

Montana-Dakota Utilities will file an amended electric rate increase request with the commission, removing the Big Stone II development costs from the filing.

Interim rate increase approved by North Dakota PSC

The North Dakota Public Service Commission approved an interim electric rate increase to be effective with service rendered on or after June 18, 2010. The increase of $7.6 million annually translates into a monthly increase of $4.49 for a residential customer using 750 kilowatt hours of electricity.

The interim revenues are collected subject to refund pending the outcome of the PSC’s final decision in the rate case, which is expected later this year.

A bill insert outlining the interim increase is included with customer bills. View bill insert.

The PSC is reviewing the full proposed increase and has scheduled two public input meetings. Click here for more information. For more information about the proposed rate increase, see the North Dakota page.

Montana-Dakota proposing new high-voltage power line

Montana-Dakota Utilities is in the early stages of planning a 30-mile high-voltage power line in southeast North Dakota to move power from a proposed wind farm to the electric grid. The new power lines would move power from a proposed 150-megawatt wind farm being built by enXco for Xcel Energy. Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2011 with completion late in the year. Montana-Dakota will need certain state regulatory approvals before moving forward.

Montana-Dakota customers will not bear any of the costs associated with the project; those costs will be recovered through an approved interconnect tariff. The project is a 230-kilovolt transmission line extending approximately 30 miles from Montana-Dakota’s facilities at Ellendale, N.D., to the proposed wind farm.

For more information, view the project website.