Plant owners say new law interferes in Colstrip contract
May 4, 2021
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BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) The majority owners of a coal-fired power plant in southern Montana filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday alleging a bill signed by Gov. Greg Gianforte unconstitutionally interferes with a private business contract that has governed the operation of the Colstrip power plant for 40 years.
Gianforte, a Republican, described the new law and a second measure affecting Colstrip as retaliation against Washington clean energy laws that have imposed an upcoming ban on coal power in that state over climate change concerns.
Four owners of the Colstrip power plant do business in Washington, where most of the plant s energy is consumed. In 2019, the Washington legislature passed a bill to ban the use of coal-generated power in the state by the end of 2025.