By RICHARD ECKE • Tribune Staff Writer • August 21, 2010

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Twitter FarkIt Type Size A A A Next Page1| 2Previous PageSay goodbye to the last decade's most contentious public policy issue in Great Falls — the proposed Highwood Generating Station east of the city.




The plant may soon be cleared by Cascade County to be built, but it will burn natural gas rather than coal, as was originally proposed, to generate electricity.
During a meeting Friday in Billings, board members of Southern Montana approved the settlement of a lawsuit with the Montana Environmental Information Center and landowners near the plant site.
"Persistence certainly pays off," said Tim Gregori of Billings, the general manager of the electric co-op.
The deal effectively clears the way for the natural gas-fired power plant to be erected 8 miles east of Great Falls along Salem Road, with one chief hurdle remaining.
"It's very good for the area of Great Falls at the end of the day," said Bill FitzGerald of Forsyth, chairman of the Southern Montana board. "It's got a real small footprint."
Gregori said the 120-megawatt plant should produce about $4 million annually in additional taxes for Cascade County. The project's $85 million first phase will be able to generate up to 40 megawatts of power with a General Electric turbine, which is similar to a jet engine on an airplane.
FitzGerald said he is pleased the cost of natural gas remains stable, adding that construction will begin "as soon as possible" on the plant once a special-use permit is approved by a county board.
"In closed session, we did ratify the agreement," FitzGerald said.
Cascade County's low-profile Zoning Board of Adjustment is expected to rule next month on whether the power plant will be granted a special-use permit. Southern Montana applied for the permit Thursday afternoon, filing about 500 pages of documents, said Susan Conell, county planning director.
Conell said the five Board of Adjustment members are expected to rule on the co-op's request toward the end of the meeting, tentatively set for at 9 a.m. Sept. 10 at the Paddock Club in Montana ExpoPark. The meeting date is subject to change.


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