Who runs the utilities in Montana?
Montana has 478,992 residential customers, EIA-861 2024 sales file (86% of EIA's count). Investor-owned 72.6%. Cooperative 24.0%. State and federal 3.4%. Montana ranks 30th of 51 states, investor-owned.
Montana homes by utility type
Montana: customers by type, %
- 72.6Investor-owned
- 24.0Cooperative
- 3.4State and federal
| Montana type | Utilities | Customers | Share | Price ¢/kWh | Gap ¢ (%) | kWh/mo | Nonmetro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investor-owned | 1 | 347,764 | 72.6% | 14.15 | not shown | 714 | 74% |
| Municipal | 1 | 0 | none | none | not shown | none | no county data |
| Cooperative | 27 | 114,936 | 24.0% | 10.67 | -3.48 (-25%) | 1,100 | 75% |
| State and federal | 1 | 16,292 | 3.4% | not shown | not shown | 1,313 | 75% |
Montana: 21 short-form utilities with 93,862 customers (all sectors) have no residential split, so the sales file reaches 86% of homes.
Montana prices by utility type
cooperatives average 10.7 cents, 3.5 cents (25%) below investor-owned at 14.1.
Montana gaps mix cost and customer mix; method.
Montana: which utilities set the averages
Investor-owned at 14.1 cents and cooperatives at 10.7 are the widest pair in Montana, 3.5 cents (33%).
Investor-owned: NorthWestern Energy LLC holds 94% of priced customers at 14.2 cents, group average 14.1. Among 2 with 5,000+ customers, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co charges 12.9 and NorthWestern Energy LLC 14.2, 1.3 cents apart.
Cooperative: Flathead Electric Coop Inc holds 55% of priced customers at 9.7 cents, group average 10.7. Among 4 with 5,000+ customers, Flathead Electric Coop Inc charges 9.7 and Fergus Electric Coop, Inc 15.5, 5.8 cents apart.
Montana territory, rural or urban
Montana has 56 counties, 82% of them nonmetro in USDA's 2023 codes. Customer-weighted: investor-owned territory is 74% nonmetro; cooperative territory is 75% nonmetro.
Montana: largest utilities
| NorthWestern Energy LLC | Investor-owned | 328,127 | 14.23 | 711 | 72% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flathead Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 63,317 | 9.67 | 1,202 | 83% |
| Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op | Cooperative | 21,182 | 13.35 | 904 | 50% |
| Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | Investor-owned | 19,616 | 12.89 | 760 | 100% |
| USBIA-Mission Valley Power | State and federal | 16,292 | 8.91 | 1,313 | 75% |
| Missoula Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 14,686 | 10.50 | 1,076 | 67% |
| Fergus Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 6,682 | 15.52 | 801 | 79% |
| Northern Lights, Inc | Cooperative | 3,985 | 12.52 | 1,073 | 100% |
| Lower Yellowstone R E A, Inc | Cooperative | 3,499 | 8.84 | 1,183 | 100% |
| Fall River Rural Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | 1,508 | 11.39 | 1,003 | 0% |
| Powder River Energy Corp | Cooperative | 52 | 12.69 | 841 | 100% |
| McKenzie Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 25 | 8.61 | 1,347 | 100% |
| Black Hills Power, Inc. | Investor-owned | 12 | 6.96 | 868 | 100% |
| Avista Corp | Investor-owned | 9 | 8.50 | 1,852 | 100% |
Compare your Montana utility
- Pick a utility.
Montana next to its neighbors
Montana: municipal not shown, cooperative -25% against investor-owned. Gaps are within each state.
| State | Investor-owned | Municipal | Cooperative | Muni gap | Coop gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | 73% | 0% | 24% | not shown | -25% |
| Idaho | 87% | 3% | 9% | -21% | -6% |
| North Dakota | 56% | 0% | 44% | not shown | -5% |
| South Dakota | 64% | 9% | 26% | -22% | -2% |
| Wyoming | 71% | 6% | 23% | not shown | -33% |
More
Similar investor-owned share: Louisiana 76%, Florida 75%, Wyoming 71%, North Carolina 69%
Sources
Montana: EIA-861 (2024), USDA RUCC (2023); retrieval dates, checksums.
Questions
Which utility type serves most Montana homes?
Investor-owned utilities, 72.6% of 478,992 customers.
Do Montana co-ops or municipal utilities charge less?
Cooperatives averaged 10.7 cents per kWh against 14.1 for investor-owned (-25%).
How many utilities does Montana have?
EIA-861 (2024) lists 30; residential sales are reported by 14.
Can Montana customers pick their utility?
No; Montana shows almost no energy-only supply and the address sets the utility.