NorthWestern Energy facts for kids
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| Public | |
| Traded as | NASDAQ: NWE S&P 400 Component |
| Industry | Utilities |
| Founded | November 27, 1923 as Northwestern Public Service Company |
| Headquarters |
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United States
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Area served
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Eastern South Dakota, Western Montana |
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Key people
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Albert Emanuel, Founder E. Linn Draper Jr., Chairman;, Robert C. Rowe, President and CEO |
| Products | utility operations consist of regulated electric and natural gas distribution, transmission and energy supply. In addition, they are pursuing electric transmission and generation opportunities. |
| Services | Conventional electricity Natural gas |
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Number of employees
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1,600 |
NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. is a company that provides important services like electricity and natural gas. It helps power homes and businesses in parts of South Dakota, Nebraska, and Montana. The company's main office is in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
As of 2019, NorthWestern Energy served about 718,000 customers. This means a lot of people rely on them for their energy needs. While the main company office is in Sioux Falls, the operations for South Dakota are based in Huron, South Dakota.
How NorthWestern Energy Started
NorthWestern Energy has a long history of providing power. The company was first started on November 27, 1923. Back then, it was known as the Northwestern Public Service Company. Over the years, it grew and changed to become the company it is today.
Expanding to Montana
Around the year 2000, NorthWestern Energy grew quite a bit. They took over the operations in Montana that used to belong to a company called the Montana Power Company. This happened after Montana passed new laws. These laws allowed different parts of the electric company to be separated.
After this change, other companies bought the power plants that used to belong to Montana Power. This meant that the area could sometimes face very high prices for electricity. This caused some problems for people in Montana.
Buying Back the Dams
In 2014, NorthWestern Energy made a big purchase. They bought several dams that were originally part of the Montana Power Company. These dams are important because they help create electricity using water power. NorthWestern Energy paid $900 million for these dams. This helped them have more control over how electricity is made and supplied to their customers.
