NextEra outlines Clearwater operations and proposes Glendive wind project; senators press on local benefits, transmission and wildlife protections

NextEra Energy Resources presented to the Senate Energy Committee on the Clearwater Wind Energy Center (operational) and the proposed Glendive Wind Project, describing local partnerships, construction history and projected regional investments.

Company overview and Clearwater recap: NextEra representatives said Clearwater, north of Miles City in Rosebud, Custer and Garfield counties, represented about $1.3 billion in capital investment, involved more than 300 construction workers during phases of construction and now employs about 20 full-time technicians. The project includes turbines with tip heights up to about 582 feet and involved partnerships with Miles Community College on technician training and with six regional tribes on cultural-resource protections.

Proposed Glendive Wind Project: NextEra described a proposed Glendive Wind Project sited across five counties (Dawson, McCone, Prairie, Garfield and Rosebud in testimony) with an estimated capital investment of $1.85 billion and roughly 210 turbines planned for the wind field. Company representatives said they expected construction in 2026 if permitting and permitting-related approvals proceed and that operations could begin in 2028–2029.

Lawmakers’ concerns and company responses: Senators asked about tax abatements and county incentives; NextEra said counties offered partial property tax abatements at Clearwater on a step-down schedule (50% for early years, tapering to full tax after a decade) and that abatements or incentive agreements are typically negotiated with host counties to make projects financially feasible. NextEra said Clearwater paid property tax and impact fees and worked with local development corporations.

Transmission and markets: Committee members probed who purchases project output and whether Montana benefits from exported electricity. NextEra said Clearwater power is sold to Pacific Northwest utilities (Avista, Portland General Electric and Puget Sound Energy) and confirmed that, for those contracts, the electricity is delivered to a Colstrip interconnection and exported to buyers on their systems. Company witnesses said that Eastern Montana’s high-capacity wind resource yields capacity factors materially higher than the rough 14% figure sometimes used in planning documents, and they described the economics of competing projects and the importance of local incentive structures.

Wildlife, cultural resources and safety: NextEra described multi-year environmental and avian surveys used to microsite turbines and transmission, avoidance of documented sage-grouse leks and use of external monitoring and post-construction mortality monitoring. The company said it would post decommissioning bonds and follow state reclamation rules; for the proposed Glendive project it proposed posting the decommissioning bond at break ground. Company representatives said blade recycling and replacement have been handled in corporate programs and that, to their knowledge, blades had not been buried on local properties.

Ending: Senators pressed on local economic benefits, legacy revenues and the tradeoffs of export-oriented generation. NextEra said it would continue outreach to counties and landowners and reiterated a willingness to expand local hiring, workforce training, and community partnerships.