Originally published on May 5, 2021 4:24 pm
Two new Montana laws that aim to keep the Colstrip coal-fired power plant open and running sparked a
lawsuit from plant owners who say the government is intruding on private business dealings.
Colstrip power plant owners headquartered in Washington State and Oregon filed a complaint in federal court Tuesday alleging two bills passed by Montana lawmakers and signed by Gov. Greg Gianforte late Monday illegally stepped into a private business contract involving the coal power plant.
“It is unconstitutional. It has a chilling impact on business when you’ve got a legislature rewriting the terms of a very long standing business agreement,” said Steve Secrist, the general counsel for Puget Sound Energy.