TOM LUTEY
A majority of the owners of Colstrip Power Plant sued Tuesday over a new Montana law nullifying portions of the plantâs 40-year-old business contract, calling the law unconstitutional.
Owners Puget Sound Energy, Avista Corp., PacifiCorp and Portland General Electric filed the lawsuit Tuesday morning in U.S. District Court in Billings, suggesting the law violates both the U.S. and state constitutions.
At issue is a new law approved by Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte on Monday. The law forces disputes among the power plantâs six owners be settled through Montana courts, instead of Washington as currently spelled out by the Colstrip Ownership and Operation Agreement. The law invalidates contracts that don t settle disputes through Montana courts.
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John-fitzpatrick
Steve-fitzpatrick
TOM LUTEY
Coal is back on the menu at the Montana Senate where Republicans voted to make it easier for Colstrip Power Plant to cut ties with neighboring Rosebud Mine, or alter its coal supply.
The mine and power plant are a short walk away from each other, but have been miles apart on coal pricing in recent years. A pivot by Colstrip Power Plant owners to a different coal mine would likely be the end of Rosebud, which sells nearly all of its coal to Colstrip.
âWhat this does is it allows the plant at Colstrip to buy coal from different sources, and that allows the plant to be run for a cheaper price,â said Sen. Steve Fitzpatrick, Republican from Great Falls. âRight now, they have to get all the coal from the mine at the mouth. What this bill will allow them to do is get coal from other facilities they can bring it on in a train, they can bring it in somewhere else.â
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