BOZEMAN, Mont. – June 20, 2024 – BHE Montana announced today its plans to develop two new clean energy projects – Glacier Solar Park, a 100-megawatt solar project, and Glacier Battery System, a 75-megawatt battery with two hours of energy storage. The company will also establish a new office and control room in Great Falls, Montana.
“We are incredibly excited to build upon the significant investments we’ve already made to further develop energy resources in Montana,” said Nancy Murray, president, BHE Montana. “These new projects reflect our commitment to grow our business in Montana and support the growth of businesses and communities that rely on a clean and resilient energy grid.”
“Montana continues to be on the cutting edge of innovation, including in our energy sector,” Montana Governor Greg Gianforte said. “We will continue to embrace our all-of-the-above policy to address energy affordability and grid reliability and gladly welcome this investment from BHE Montana.”
BHE Montana’s Glacier Battery System will be located near Ethridge, Montana. The battery is a stand-alone facility that will be used to support real-time scheduling of intermittent, renewable generation from BHE Montana’s wind and solar generation assets, adding an additional layer of resiliency to Montana’s energy grid. Glacier Battery System is expected to be in operation by the end of 2025.
BHE Montana’s Glacier Solar Park will be built on 1,000 acres of land in north central Montana. The installation of 200,000 solar panels will add 100 megawatts of clean, renewable energy to Montana’s electricity system and is expected to be in operation by the end of 2026. Both projects will be interconnected to the Montana-Alberta Tie Line.
BHE Montana also will be opening a new office in Great Falls, Montana, which will support 15 local employees, and include a 24/7/365 control room from which BHE Montana’s balancing authorities will support the operation of BHE Montana’s generation assets and provide scheduling and balancing services to other energy generators and transmission providers.
BHE Montana is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy. In addition to its latest development projects, BHE Montana operates the 189-megawatt Rim Rock windfarm near Cut Bank, Montana, as well as the 106.5-megawatt Glacier I and 103.5-megawatt Glacier II windfarms that span southwest Glacier County and southeast Toole County in northern Montana.
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Last modified: June 24, 2024
