Dive Brief:

• Two units at the coal-fired Colstrip power plant in Montana will lose money for the foreseeable future, according to analysis by NorthWestern Energy.
• The units totaling 614 MW are owned by PPL Montana and Puget Sound Energy. NorthWestern considered buying them, but assigned them a negative net present value of $127.5 million. NorthWestern expects the units to lose almost $200 million through 2033.
• PPL has been trying to sell its Montana assets. NorthWestern has agreed to buy the company's hydroelectric dams in the state, but declined to buy the coal assets.

Dive Insight:

Coal plants are under pressure around the U.S. Older, less efficient ones are being shut down. That's exactly what environmental groups would like to see happen to the two Colstrip units. Washington regulators recently rejected PSE's analysis finding that it makes sense to keep operating the Colstrip units.