Feb 10, 2015
PPL Montana Will Retire J.E. Corette Power Plant
PPL Montana
PPL Montana announced Tuesday (2/10) that it will permanently shut down the J.E. Corette power plant in Billings.
The company re-evaluated a 2012 decision to mothball the plant and retain the option to restart it if wholesale power market conditions in the Northwest changed. The estimated cost of upgrades that would be required to put the plant back in service has increased significantly since 2012, and wholesale power prices in the Northwest remain low.
The plant will be retired in August.
The 153-megawatt power plant, which uses low-sulfur coal from the Powder River Basin in Wyoming, has about 30 full-time employees. The plant began operation in 1968.
The decision has no effect on the Colstrip power plant in Rosebud County, which PPL Montana operates and owns jointly with five other companies.
PPL Montana is a subsidiary of PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL). More information about PPL Montana is available at www.pplmontana.com.
For further information: David Hoffman, 406-431-6783
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