Montana Regional Transmission Connectivity Study

The intent was to create a starting point for discussions about the need for and location of additional transmission. The study contains practical recommendations and data designed to support the development and construction of regional transmission that improves the reliability and efficiency of the Northwest’s power grid. The study provides a credible evidence-based foundation that Tribes, communities, developers, utilities, regulators and others can use to discuss and provide input on potential regional transmission. 

The Energy Strategies consulting group conducted the study. The study was funded by a coalition intent on reducing community and environmental impact of new transmission through increased community engagement. The coalition includes: NW Energy Coalition, The Nature Conservancy, The Natural Resources Defense Council, Earthjustice, Sierra Club, The Audubon Society, Montana Environmental Information Center, Conservation Northwest, GridLab, Idaho Conservation League, Climate Solutions, The Energy Foundation, and the Washington State Department of Commerce. 

The coalition is using the study as a starting point for discussions on the need for and location of additional transmission. They are gathering feedback from Tribes, communities and other interested organizations. This feedback will be provided to potential transmission developers, utilities and regulators to ensure community input is included in the design and location of the transmission lines.

This study provides transmission recommendations for the future grid that supports increased reliability by ensuring resource adequacy and increasing resiliency. Benefits of completing the recommended transmission solutions include: 

• Improving efficiency of grid operations, reducing congestion and lowering operating costs 
• Enhancing the ability to operate as an integrated network, sharing resources from one region to another especially in stressed conditions
• Enabling the grid to support continued load growth and economic development across the region
• Creating a transmission system that can deliver the lowest-cost energy resources where and when they are needed to improve energy affordability

Without this transmission infrastructure, it will be difficult to add new regional generation resources and it will increase the risk of not being able to reliably deliver electricity across the region. Extreme weather events are increasingly stressing the grid which is already at near capacity limits.  There could also be higher costs due to increased electricity purchases from outside the region and decreased reliability. In addition, states could struggle to meet policy objectives.

No. The lines shown on the maps are illustrations of conceptual potential transmission corridors and do not represent actual siting, alignments or final corridors for these projects. The maps in the study are representations of possible corridors with wide latitude for discussing priorities for development of any transmission expansion as well as any actual line placement. Specific project and siting recommendations should only occur after extensive engagement with landowners, local communities, Tribes, governments, and other interested parties.

With community-driven decisionmaking, Tribes, landowners, communities and local, state and federal agencies will need to make the final decisions.  One of the purposes of this study is to gather input to design final routes endorsed by the affected communities. There is always a tradeoff between bringing affordable and reliable power to communities and the impacts of the power lines. Engagement with communities and stakeholders is critical.