Montana Electricity Rates, Providers & Generation
In Montana, the average residential electricity rate is 12.98¢ per kilowatt-hour, ranking 6th nationally; the typical home spends $111 per month on electricity; 18% of generation comes from renewable sources.
Montana electricity overview
Production, consumption, and emissions for Montana based on the most recent reported year (2025).
- Population
- 1,144,694
- Total production
- 92.4 TWh 80.71 MWh per capita
- Total consumption
- 15.4 TWh 13.43 MWh per capita
- Production from renewables
- 16.5 TWh 17.8% of generation
- Production from non-renewables
- 75.9 TWh
Montana electricity rates & bills
Average residential electricity rate in Montana, last 22 months.
| Sector | Avg rate (¢/kWh) |
|---|---|
| Residential | 12.98¢ |
| Commercial | 11.91¢ |
| Industrial | 7.01¢ |
How Montana generates electricity
Generation mix from in-state power plants over the most recent twelve months, by fuel category.
- Renewable
- Nuclear
- Fossil
- Other
| Fuel | Share | Generation |
|---|---|---|
| renewable | 18.8% | 17.3 TWh |
| fossil fuels | 12.1% | 11.2 TWh |
| conventional hydroelectric | 11.4% | 10.5 TWh |
| all coal products | 10.3% | 9.5 TWh |
| coal, excluding waste coal | 10.0% | 9.2 TWh |
| subbituminous coal | 10.0% | 9.2 TWh |
| all renewables | 7.4% | 6.8 TWh |
| onshore wind turbine | 7.0% | 6.4 TWh |
| wind | 7.0% | 6.4 TWh |
| natural gas & other gases | 1.3% | 1.2 TWh |
| natural gas | 1.3% | 1.2 TWh |
| estimated total solar photovoltaic | 0.5% | 496.1 GWh |
| estimated total solar | 0.5% | 496.1 GWh |
| petroleum | 0.5% | 457.7 GWh |
| petroleum coke | 0.5% | 446.4 GWh |
| solar | 0.4% | 343.0 GWh |
| solar photovoltaic | 0.4% | 343.0 GWh |
| other | 0.3% | 258.8 GWh |
| estimated small scale solar photovoltaic | 0.2% | 153.1 GWh |
Montana production fuel makeup
Share of in-state generation by fuel over the latest twelve months.
- renewable18.8%
- fossil fuels12.1%
- conventional hydroelectric11.4%
- all coal products10.3%
- coal, excluding waste coal10.0%
- subbituminous coal10.0%
- all renewables7.4%
- onshore wind turbine7.0%
- wind7.0%
- natural gas & other gases1.3%
- natural gas1.3%
- estimated total solar photovoltaic0.5%
- estimated total solar0.5%
- petroleum0.5%
- petroleum coke0.5%
- solar0.4%
- solar photovoltaic0.4%
- other0.3%
- estimated small scale solar photovoltaic0.2%
Electric utilities in Montana
The 3 electric distribution utilities that serve Montana, by customers served. These are the companies that deliver power and handle outages.
| Utility | Parent company | Customers served | Outage map |
|---|---|---|---|
| NorthWestern Energy | NorthWestern | 390,000 | Outage map |
| Cheyenne Light Fuel & Power | — | 216,000 | — |
| USBIA-Mission Valley Power | — | 23,711 | Outage map |
Residential electricity providers in Montana
14 utilities and retail providers serving residential customers, ordered by customer count.
| Provider | Type | Customers | Annual sales | Avg rate | Avg bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flathead Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 63,317 | 913.0 GWh | 9.67¢ | — |
| Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op | Cooperative | 21,182 | 229.7 GWh | 13.35¢ | — |
| Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | Investor-owned | 19,616 | 178.9 GWh | 12.89¢ | — |
| USBIA-Mission Valley Power | Federal | 16,292 | 256.6 GWh | 8.91¢ | — |
| Missoula Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 14,686 | 189.6 GWh | 10.50¢ | — |
| Fergus Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 6,682 | 64.2 GWh | 15.52¢ | — |
| Northern Lights, Inc | Cooperative | 3,985 | 51.3 GWh | 12.52¢ | — |
| Lower Yellowstone R E A, Inc | Cooperative | 3,499 | 49.7 GWh | 8.83¢ | — |
| Fall River Rural Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | 1,508 | 18.1 GWh | 11.39¢ | — |
| Powder River Energy Corp | Cooperative | 52 | 525 MWh | 12.69¢ | — |
| McKenzie Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 25 | 404 MWh | 8.61¢ | — |
| Black Hills Power, Inc. | Investor-owned | 12 | 125 MWh | 6.96¢ | — |
| Avista Corp | Investor-owned | 9 | 200 MWh | 8.50¢ | — |
| NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT) | Investor-owned | 2 | 5 MWh | 6.00¢ | — |
Commercial electricity providers in Montana
15 providers serving commercial customers, ordered by annual sales.
| Provider | Type | Customers | Annual sales | Avg rate | Avg bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flathead Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 12,568 | 484.7 GWh | 7.62¢ | — |
| Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | Investor-owned | 5,745 | 263.2 GWh | 11.57¢ | — |
| Fergus Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 144 | 192.4 GWh | 8.99¢ | — |
| USBIA-Mission Valley Power | Federal | 5,726 | 135.5 GWh | 8.35¢ | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | 8 | 126.1 GWh | 2.73¢ | — |
| NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT) | Investor-owned | 398 | 113.7 GWh | 2.82¢ | — |
| Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op | Cooperative | 1,859 | 73.3 GWh | 12.92¢ | — |
| Missoula Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 1,551 | 52.8 GWh | 9.60¢ | — |
| Fall River Rural Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | 572 | 34.1 GWh | 8.06¢ | — |
| Lower Yellowstone R E A, Inc | Cooperative | 726 | 18.6 GWh | 11.89¢ | — |
| Northern Lights, Inc | Cooperative | 296 | 8.5 GWh | 9.90¢ | — |
| Avista Corp | Investor-owned | 24 | 851 MWh | 10.11¢ | — |
| Black Hills Power, Inc. | Investor-owned | 24 | 344 MWh | 9.56¢ | — |
| Powder River Energy Corp | Cooperative | 20 | 115 MWh | 17.48¢ | — |
| McKenzie Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 12 | 93 MWh | 12.04¢ | — |
Power plant map of Montana
67 power plants in Montana with known coordinates, plotted by location. Marker size reflects nameplate capacity; color shows primary fuel.
- Renewable
- Nuclear
- Fossil
- Other
Power plants in Montana
Largest in-state electricity generators by annual net generation, with associated CO2 emissions where available.
| Plant | County | Fuel | Capacity | Generation | CO₂ | CO₂/MWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colstrip | — | SUB | 1.6 GW | 10.8 TWh | 10.9 M tonnes | 1,005 kg |
| Libby | — | WAT | 525 MW | 1.6 TWh | — | — |
| Clearwater Wind I | — | WND | 366 MW | 1.3 TWh | — | — |
| Noxon Rapids | — | WAT | 488 MW | 1.3 TWh | — | — |
| Yellowtail | — | WAT | 278 MW | 846.0 GWh | — | — |
| Selis Ksanka Qlispe | — | WAT | 228 MW | 804.8 GWh | — | — |
| Pryor Mountain Wind | — | WND | 240 MW | 723.8 GWh | — | — |
| Fort Peck | — | WAT | 180 MW | 701.2 GWh | — | — |
| Hungry Horse | — | WAT | 428 MW | 650.2 GWh | — | — |
| NaturEner Rim Rock Energy | — | WND | 189 MW | 563.6 GWh | — | — |
| Dave Gates Generating Station | — | NG | 203 MW | 547.5 GWh | 327.4 k tonnes | 598 kg |
| Yellowstone Energy LP | — | PC | 68 MW | 490.8 GWh | 409.7 k tonnes | 835 kg |
| Ryan | — | WAT | 55 MW | 486.3 GWh | — | — |
| Hardin Generator Project | — | SUB | 116 MW | 435.4 GWh | 655.1 k tonnes | 1,505 kg |
| Judith Gap Wind Energy Center | — | WND | 135 MW | 409.0 GWh | — | — |
| Thompson Falls | — | WAT | 98 MW | 396.3 GWh | — | — |
| Rainbow (MT) | — | WAT | 59 MW | 394.9 GWh | — | — |
| Culbertson Generation Station | — | NG | 108 MW | 316.6 GWh | 137.8 k tonnes | 435 kg |
| Colstrip Energy LP | — | WC | 46 MW | 306.2 GWh | 405.8 k tonnes | 1,325 kg |
| Morony | — | WAT | 63 MW | 295.0 GWh | — | — |
| Holter | — | WAT | 55 MW | 281.6 GWh | — | — |
| Canyon Ferry | — | WAT | 55 MW | 276.5 GWh | — | — |
| Stillwater Wind, LLC | — | WND | 80 MW | 256.7 GWh | — | — |
| South Peak Wind | — | WND | 80 MW | 248.2 GWh | — | — |
| NaturEner Glacier Wind Energy 2 | — | WND | 104 MW | 245.7 GWh | — | — |
| Cochrane | — | WAT | 59 MW | 244.7 GWh | — | — |
| NaturEner Glacier Wind Energy 1 | — | WND | 107 MW | 210.7 GWh | — | — |
| MTSUN | — | SUN | 80 MW | 154.2 GWh | — | — |
| Hauser | — | WAT | 17 MW | 142.8 GWh | — | — |
| OREG 1 Inc | — | WH | 30 MW | 138.5 GWh | — | — |
| Black Eagle | — | WAT | 27 MW | 121.5 GWh | — | — |
| Spion Kop Wind Farm | — | WND | 40 MW | 112.2 GWh | — | — |
| Basin Creek Plant | — | NG | 55 MW | 111.2 GWh | 55.2 k tonnes | 496 kg |
| OREG 2 Inc | — | WH | 30 MW | 85.1 GWh | — | — |
| Greenfield Wind - MT | — | WND | 25 MW | 83.7 GWh | — | — |
| Diamond Willow Wind Facility | — | WND | 30 MW | 82.1 GWh | — | — |
| Big Timber Wind Farm | — | WND | 25 MW | 73.2 GWh | — | — |
| Gordon Butte Wind LLC | — | WND | 18 MW | 66.5 GWh | — | — |
| Mystic | — | WAT | 12 MW | 62.3 GWh | — | — |
| Madison Dam | — | WAT | 16 MW | 57.5 GWh | — | — |
| Apex Solar | — | SUN | 80 MW | 54.3 GWh | — | — |
| Tiber Dam Hydroelectric Plant | — | WAT | 8 MW | 44.0 GWh | — | — |
| Broadwater Power Project | — | WAT | 10 MW | 39.4 GWh | — | — |
| Two Dot Wind Farm | — | WND | 10 MW | 33.1 GWh | — | — |
| Clearwater Wind II | — | WND | 103 MW | 30.3 GWh | — | — |
| Horseshoe Bend Wind Park | — | WND | 9 MW | 29.4 GWh | — | — |
| Fairfield Wind | — | WND | 10 MW | 25.8 GWh | — | — |
| Big Fork | — | WAT | 4 MW | 25.1 GWh | — | — |
| Musselshell Wind Project Two LLC | — | WND | 10 MW | 23.6 GWh | — | — |
| Turnbull Hydro | — | WAT | 13 MW | 22.9 GWh | — | — |
Data centers & crypto mining in Montana
Data centers and cryptocurrency-mining operations are large electricity consumers that show up inside Montana's commercial and industrial load. EIA does not publish a facility-level data-center inventory, so the figures below pair reported commercial and industrial sales with EIA estimates of data-center and crypto-mining electricity demand.
No state-level EIA estimate of cryptocurrency-mining load is available for Montana; mining is concentrated in a handful of states.
Quick facts about electricity in Montana
- The average residential electricity rate in Montana is 12.98¢ per kWh, the 6th lowest among the 50 states and DC.
- The typical residential electricity bill in Montana is $111 per month.
- Montana's largest source of in-state generation is renewable, at 18.8% of the mix.
- Renewable sources account for 17.8% of the electricity generated in Montana.
- Montana generated 92.4 TWh of electricity in the most recent reported year.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average electricity rate in Montana?
The average residential electricity rate in Montana was 12.98¢ per kilowatt-hour as of 2025, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data, ranking 6th among the 50 states and DC.
What is the average electricity bill in Montana?
The average monthly residential electricity bill in Montana was $111 in 2025. This figure is calculated from total annual residential revenue divided by average customer count over twelve months, using EIA Form 861 data.
Can I choose my electricity provider in Montana?
No. Most residential customers receive electricity from a regulated utility serving their area.
What share of Montana's electricity comes from renewable sources?
In 2025, 17.8% of electricity generated in Montana came from renewable sources (wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biomass), based on EIA Form 923 data.
How much electricity do data centers use in Montana?
Data centers in Montana are estimated to use about 606.7 GWh of electricity per year, roughly 4.0% of the state's electricity sales. EIA does not publish facility-level data-center data; this is an estimate that apportions national EIA/DOE data-center figures by Montana's share of U.S. commercial electricity sales.