PSE IN MONTANA:
BATTLE BUTTE SOLAR PROJECT
BATTLE BUTTE SOLAR PROJECT FAQs
"We've been a proud partner of Montana's energy economy for many years and are grateful for the positive working relationships we've developed in Stillwater County as the Beaver Creek wind facility has come online. It's important to us to continue to keep the lines of communication open with the community as a good neighbor and are looking forward to sharing updates on the Battle Butte Solar Project."
-Jim Hogan, Puget Sound Energy director of major projects.
What is the project timing?
The project received a conditional use permit from Stillwater County in September of 2024. Construction is planned to start in the spring of 2026 with an anticipated completion date in mid-2028.
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How will the Battle Butte Solar Project benefit the local community?
Constructing the Battle Butte Solar Project will require approximately 250 skilled workers with an ongoing need for a small number of permanent on-site workers for operation. Workers may come from Stillwater County or other nearby areas. PSE anticipates that spending associated with the project will benefit a variety of local businesses.
The Battle Butte Solar Project will contribute 1.5% of the cost of the project in impact fees to Stillwater County over the first three years of the project, totaling approximately $4.8 million. Property taxes levied on the facility will provide ongoing revenues for local schools, county roads, and other public services.
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Why did PSE build a new solar facility in Montana?
The Battle Butte Solar Project is strategically positioned to utilize existing transmission infrastructure through proximity to the Beaver Creek Wind Project and on the Colstrip Transmission Line. PSE has transmission capacity to deliver energy to our service territory through capacity formerly used to deliver energy to Washington state from the Colstrip plant.
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What other projects does PSE own and operate in Montana?
PSE has been a partner in Montana’s energy economy dating back to the 1970s and construction of the Colstrip Power Plant. That continues today: just last year, PSE completed its Beaver Creek Wind Project in Stillwater County.
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PSE also has an agreement with Energy Keepers, Inc., the tribally owned corporation of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes for hydroelectric power, and an agreement with NextEra, Montana’s largest windfarm Clearwater Wind, based in Rosebud, Custer and Garfield Counties. PSE looks forward to continuing to partner with Montana as part of its all of the above energy economy.
ABOUT THE PROJECT​
PSE'S NEWEST INVESTMENT IN STILLWATER COUNTY
The Battle Butte Solar Project will be Puget Sound Energy’s (PSE) second investment in Stillwater County, Montana and sits on about 1,400 acres of private land purchased by PSE. The project will use solar modules to produce electricity that will be directed to the electrical transmission grid.​
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The Battle Butte Solar Project is in the high plains of Stillwater County, Montana. It is about 15 miles north of the town of Columbus and 7 miles south of Rapelje on both sides of the Rapelje Highway.​ The project will consist of over 350,000 bi-facial solar modules on single axis trackers covering approximately 1,200 acres along with a small operations building, substation, and transmission line to PSE’s Beaver Creek Wind Project. It has a maximum capacity of 130 MW which is enough energy to power about 20,000 typical homes.