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Editor: Katerine G., Editor & Data Researcher · Research & publishing: Electric Consumer Editorial Team · Data retrieved · Sources named on this page: EIA-861, EIA retail sales · How we got these numbers · Report an error

NorthWestern Energy LLC in Montana: 14.23 ¢ home rates in 2024, SAIDI and solar

Roughly 415,323 Montana accounts belong to NorthWestern Energy LLC, classed by EIA as investor owned; the residential count is 328,127. Businesses and industry take 70% of the 9,394,835 MWh it sells; homes take 30%.

At 711 kWh a month a NorthWestern Energy LLC home pays about $101 in energy: 14.23 ¢/kWh, 12.4% above the Montana average of 12.66 ¢.

Businesses and industry take 70% of the 9,394,835 MWh it sells; homes take 30%.

Who buys power from NorthWestern Energy LLC

Business share of sales
70%homes 30% of 9,394,835 MWh

The customer mix of NorthWestern Energy LLC is its own: 328,127 home accounts buy 29.8% of 9,394,835 MWh, 84,921 commercial accounts buy 34.1%, and the remaining 36.1% goes to 2,275 industrial and other accounts. A typical NorthWestern Energy LLC home uses 8,535 kWh a year, a typical business account 37,733.

How it compares

NorthWestern Energy LLC
NorthWestern Energy LLC, 2024HomeBusinessBillSAIDI
NorthWestern Energy LLC14.23 ¢/kWh13.08 ¢/kWh$101at 711 kWh118 minSAIDI
Montana average against this company, which is 3 of 3 on price-1.57 ¢/kWhcompany 12.4% above-1.21 ¢/kWhcompany 10.2% above-$11a month at 711 kWh+117 mincompany 117 below
Flathead Electric Coop IncLowest in this table9.67 ¢/kWhcompany 47.2% above7.62 ¢/kWhcompany 71.6% above$69$32 less than company235 mincompany 117 below

Compare 7 Montana companies

NorthWestern Energy LLC: 2025

No 2025 early-release row for NorthWestern Energy LLC; 2024 stays the latest year.

NorthWestern Energy LLC 2024 against Montana 2025
+1.24 ¢14.23 ¢ for NorthWestern Energy LLC in 2024, 12.99 ¢ for Montana in 2025

NorthWestern Energy LLC has no 2025 early-release row; for its 328,127 home accounts the latest year is 2024, at 14.23 ¢/kWh and 118 SAIDI minutes.

Carbon context

NorthWestern Energy LLC serves 328,127 homes in Montana. At 711 kWh a month that is about 341 kg of CO₂, or 4,089 kg a year, at the Montana plant rate, state generation and not this utility: Montana generation mix.

NorthWestern Energy LLC charts

Residential price since 2015: 14.23 ¢ in 2024

11.81 ¢ in 2015, 14.23 ¢ in 2024 (+20.4%); Montana 10.88 to 12.66 ¢.

NorthWestern Energy LLC residential price 2015-2024, 2015 to 2024: 10 rows
YearNorthWestern Energy LLCGap to Montana residentialGap to U.S. residential
201511.81+0.93-0.84
201611.77+0.83-0.78
201711.76+0.81-1.13
201811.73+0.77-1.14
201912.01+0.88-1.00
202012.16+0.92-0.99
202112.14+0.92-1.52
202212.43+1.10-2.61
202314.61+2.07-1.39
202414.23+1.57-2.25

10 rows from EIA retail sales.

CSV

NorthWestern Energy LLC SAIDI, 2015-2024

114 min in 2015, 118 in 2024.

NorthWestern Energy LLC SAIDI by year, 2015 to 2024: 10 rows
YearNorthWestern Energy LLC, no major eventsNorthWestern Energy LLC, all events
2015114260
2016111142
2017141157
2018103103
2019114114
2020120166
2021128151
2022119132
2023103103
2024118233

10 rows from EIA-861 survey.

CSV

Reliability: SAIDI 117.9 min

117.9 min, 1.19x the median reporter, rank 395 of 673.

min

  • Company, no major events117.9
  • Company, with major events233.4

NorthWestern Energy LLC, Reliability: EIA-861 survey.

CSV

Analyst note

NorthWestern Energy LLC billed homes 11.81 ¢/kWh in 2015 and 14.23 ¢ in 2024, +20.4% in all, and outpaced the Montana average (+16.4%) by 4.1 points. NorthWestern Energy LLC's sharpest move came in 2023, +17.5%. The high is 14.61 ¢ (2023) and the low 11.73 ¢ (2018). 2024: -2.6% here, +1.0% for the Montana average. SAIDI at NorthWestern Energy LLC (major events excluded) went from 114 minutes in 2015 to 118 in 2024, +4%, between 103 (2023) and 141 (2017). NorthWestern Energy LLC filed SAIDI under the national median in 0 of 10 years; its 2024 figure was 118 minutes, +18 from that year's median. 2015: 260 minutes with major events, 114 without, the widest gap of any year. NorthWestern Energy LLC has 2 cheaper and 0 higher-priced Montana peers among 3 with 20,000+ homes. Next cheaper, Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op, bills 13.35 ¢ (-0.88).

A 12.4% premium over Montana, with outage minutes at 1.19x the national median.

Home accounts at NorthWestern Energy LLC went from 287,204 in 2015 to 328,127 in 2024, +14.2%. Business customers paid 0.92 times the home price in 2024 (13.08 against 14.23 ¢); the ratio was 0.94 in 2015. SAIFI went from 1.32 in 2015 to 0.95 in 2024, between 0.93 and 1.32.

What kind of utility is NorthWestern Energy LLC?

NorthWestern Energy LLC files with EIA as an investor-owned utility. In Montana, investor-owned utilities serve 73% of residential customers at an average 14.1 cents per kWh. NorthWestern Energy LLC itself averaged 14.2 cents, 0.1 cents above its type in Montana.

Montana utilities by type · all states

Reliability and meters, 2024

In 2024 the average NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT) customer was without power 118 minutes without major events and 233 with them. That is 1st fewest of 4 Montana utilities with 10,000+ customers. The median Montana utility reported 148 minutes.

EIA-861 2024, retrieved 2026-10-01. Montana reliability, best and worst utilities, utility report card.

Facts

Customer accounts
415,32360.0% of Montana total
Residential accounts
328,12758.9% of Montana homes
Commercial accounts
84,92120.4% of the base
Residential rate
14.23 ¢/kWh3rd place of 3, +12.4% against the state
Commercial rate
13.08 ¢/kWh5th place of 5, +10.2% against the state
SAIDI, no major events
117.9 minbetter than 41% of reporters
SAIFI, no major events
0.950.94x the median
SAIDI with major events
233.4 min49.5% from event days
Net-metered capacity
71.4 MW9,001 installations
Counties served
36Montana plus 1 more
Average residential use
8,535 kWh/yr711 a month
Implied monthly bill
$101-$16 on the U.S. rate, 711 kWh
Residential rate since 2015
+20.4%11.81 to 14.23 ¢/kWh
SAIDI trend
+4%114 min in 2015, 118 in 2024

Data tables

2024 by sector, NorthWestern Energy LLC

NorthWestern Energy LLC sectorAccountsRate ¢/kWhGap to Montana ¢/kWh
Residential328,12714.23+1.57
Commercial84,92113.08+1.21

Year by year, NorthWestern Energy LLC

YearHome accounts, NorthWestern Energy LLCHome ¢Business ¢RatioSAIDISAIFI
2015287,20411.8111.110.941141.32
2016291,16811.7711.010.941111.07
2017295,24611.7610.980.931411.30
2018299,25711.7310.920.931031.08
2019303,04112.0111.260.941141.16
2020307,23912.1611.390.941201.02
2021311,77112.1411.420.941281.18
2022316,80112.4311.560.931191.09
2023322,25414.6113.680.941030.93
2024328,12714.2313.080.921180.95

Peers of NorthWestern Energy LLC in Montana, 3rd place of 3 on home price

Utility near NorthWestern Energy LLC on priceSAIDI min, gap to NorthWestern Energy LLCHome ¢, gap to NorthWestern Energy LLCGap % to NorthWestern Energy LLCAccounts, NorthWestern Energy LLC = 1
1. Flathead Electric Coop Inc+117-4.56-32.1%0.18
2. Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-opNo data-0.88-6.2%0.06
3. NorthWestern Energy LLC (this utility)11814.23-1.00

Who buys NorthWestern Energy LLC's electricity

Class at NorthWestern Energy LLCAccountsOf NorthWestern Energy LLC accountsOf NorthWestern Energy LLC MWh soldkWh a year per NorthWestern Energy LLC account
Residential328,12779.0%29.8%8,535
Commercial84,92120.4%34.1%37,733
Industrial and other2,2750.55%36.1%1,490,109

NorthWestern Energy LLC: meters, rate options and solar

MeasureNorthWestern Energy LLCMontana contextNorthWestern Energy LLC detail
Time-of-use rate for NorthWestern Energy LLC homesNot on file2 of 5 Montana utilities offer oneno dynamic-pricing count filed by NorthWestern Energy LLC
Net-metered installations9,00192% residential25.1 homes per 1,000 accounts, 7.9 kW average

Monthly energy cost by use, NorthWestern Energy LLC

kWhShare of a 711 kWh monthCost a month at 14.23 ¢vs U.S.Cost a year
25035%$35.57-$5.63$427
50070%$71.14-$11.26$854
750105%$106.71-$16.89$1,281
1,000141%$142.28-$22.52$1,707
1,500211%$213.42-$33.78$2,561
2,000281%$284.56-$45.04$3,415

Outage record, NorthWestern Energy LLC

Measure, NorthWestern Energy LLCNo eventsAll eventsConverted
SAIDI minutes117.9233.41.97 h
SAIFI interruptions0.9521.2961.05 yr apart
CAIDI minutes123.9180.12.06 h

Territory of NorthWestern Energy LLC

36 Montana counties plus 1 other state, region WECC:

Counties served by NorthWestern Energy LLCSweet GrassLewis and ClarkRavalliMeagherBeaverheadWheatlandBlaineHillPowellMineralSilver BowMadisonGraniteCarbonStillwaterMissoulaGallatinJudith BasinTetonBig HornValleyParkJeffersonBroadwaterYellowstonePonderaPhillipsRosebudFergusMusselshellDeer LodgeCascadeChouteauGolden ValleySandersLibertyParkTeton

Montana other states: 38 of 38 counties of NorthWestern Energy LLC drawn

NorthWestern Energy LLC: 38 counties listed by EIA-861, Census 2023 outlines.

CSV
County list
  • Beaverhead
  • Big Horn
  • Blaine
  • Broadwater
  • Carbon
  • Cascade
  • Chouteau
  • Deer Lodge
  • Fergus
  • Gallatin
  • Golden Valley
  • Granite
  • Hill
  • Jefferson
  • Judith Basin
  • Lewis and Clark
  • Liberty
  • Madison
  • Meagher
  • Mineral
  • Missoula
  • Musselshell
  • Park
  • Phillips
  • Pondera
  • Powell
  • Ravalli
  • Rosebud
  • Sanders
  • Silver Bow
  • Stillwater
  • Sweet Grass
  • Teton
  • Valley
  • Wheatland
  • Yellowstone

Questions on NorthWestern Energy LLC

How big is NorthWestern Energy LLC in Montana, by customer accounts?

415,323 accounts in 2024: residential 328,127, commercial 84,921, industrial 2,275.

How many cents per kWh does NorthWestern Energy LLC charge homes?

In 2024 homes paid 14.23 cents; against the Montana average that is +12.4%.

What are the SAIDI and SAIFI of NorthWestern Energy LLC?

SAIDI 117.9 min and SAIFI 0.95 a year, major events excluded; ratio to the national median 1.19, CAIDI 124 min.

How many net-metered systems connect to NorthWestern Energy LLC?

9,001 installations with 71.4 MW, of which residential installations number 8,238.

What would a typical NorthWestern Energy LLC home pay each month?

711 kWh at 14.23 cents comes to about $101, energy only.

Is NorthWestern Energy LLC cheaper than other Montana utilities?

Rank 3 of 3 in Montana on price, +12.4% against the state average; 2 charge less than 14.23 ¢.

How much of the NorthWestern Energy LLC load is business?

Homes take 29.8% of 9,394,835 MWh, commercial accounts 34.1%, industrial and other 36.1%; the 84,921 commercial accounts use 37,733 kWh each, 4.4 times a home.

Since 2015, has NorthWestern Energy LLC become cheaper than other Montana utilities?

2nd cheapest of 2 in 2015, 3rd of 3 in 2024; its price rose 20.4% while Montana rose 16.4%.

Has NorthWestern Energy LLC filed 2025 data with EIA?

Not yet: 14.23 cents and 118 SAIDI minutes (2024) remain the newest NorthWestern Energy LLC record.

Utilities with a similar home price

Home prices nearest to NorthWestern Energy LLC at 14.23 ¢/kWh in 2024, among companies with a page here, any state.

More on NorthWestern Energy LLC

Rate plans on file

4 home plan records, energy charges: 3.1 to 11.6 ¢/kWh.

Who offers time-of-use and tiered rates (17 Apr 2026 snapshot).

Primary sources for NorthWestern Energy LLC in Montana: 14.23 ¢ home rates in 2024, SAIDI and solar

Share this page

At 711 kWh a month a NorthWestern Energy LLC home pays about $101 in energy: 14.23 ¢/kWh, 12.4% above the Montana average of 12.66 ¢.

Cite this page

Underlying data are U.S. government works (EIA, Census Bureau). Our tables and charts: CC BY 4.0, credit Electric Consumer. The access date fills in when you open this page.

APA

Electric Consumer. (2026). NorthWestern Energy LLC customer mix: 14.23 ¢/kWh in 2024, SAIDI 118 min. Data as of 26 October 2026. Retrieved 26 October 2026, from https://electricconsumer.org/companies/northwestern-energy-llc.html

MLA

Electric Consumer. “NorthWestern Energy LLC customer mix: 14.23 ¢/kWh in 2024, SAIDI 118 min.” Electric Consumer, data as of 26 October 2026, https://electricconsumer.org/companies/northwestern-energy-llc.html. Accessed 26 October 2026.

Chicago

Electric Consumer. “NorthWestern Energy LLC customer mix: 14.23 ¢/kWh in 2024, SAIDI 118 min.” Data as of 26 October 2026. Accessed 26 October 2026. https://electricconsumer.org/companies/northwestern-energy-llc.html.

BibTeX

@misc{usedata_companies_northwestern_energy_llc,
  author = "Electric Consumer",
  title = {NorthWestern Energy LLC customer mix: 14.23 ¢/kWh in 2024, SAIDI 118 min},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://electricconsumer.org/companies/northwestern-energy-llc.html},
  note = {Data as of 26 October 2026. Accessed 26 October 2026}
}
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