Montana Lawmakers Looking To Wring Money From Soon To Be Closed Coal-Fired Units

Montana lawmakers are working on a package of bills that would wring millions of dollars from Puget Sound Energy and Talen Energy when they close two of the four units at the Colstrip coal-fired power plant, which will happen by 2022 per a recent settlement agreement. One conservative member of the Montana Public Service Commission questioned the entire package of bills, calling it "social welfare" and "just a series of bad ideas." According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 94 coal-fired plants closed in 2015, and another 41 are schedule to close this year.