The winds endlessly flattening the prairie grass around the southcentral Montana town of Rapelje have become a boon for the local government and public schools.
The latest is a $6 million-plus bonus paid to Stillwater Country, which this year has meant $84,000 each for schools in Rapelje and Reed Point. The money comes from Puget Sound Energy, a utility more than 754 miles away in Bellevue, Washington.
Demand for Montana renewable energy has led to more than a gigawatt of nameplate wind generation built in the state since 2021 and brought the export energy economy to seven Montana counties. But the demand wouldn’t be there without transmission, of which analysts say Montana doesn’t have enough.
Where there’s wire, there is tax revenue for counties. Three southeast Montana counties will split $217 million from NextEra’s Clearwater Wind project over the next 30 years. Also, royalty payments to landowners — up to $30,000 a year for each wind turbine site under a 25-year lease.
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“For Stillwater County, the benefit is new industry, an expanding industry, and obviously the northern part of Stillwater County has the right combination of reliable wind, good wind speed, and transmission,” said Tyrell Hamilton, a Stillwater County Commissioner who has seen steady interest in wind farm development over the years.
