Montana electricity rates and bills

Montana electricity rates per kWh, by period

From September 2025 to August 2026, residential customers in Montana paid 13.94¢ per kWh on average, 22.7% below the US average. Among the 50 states and DC that is tied for 10th lowest¹. The figure is average revenue per kWh, meaning total residential payments (fixed charges and riders included, most taxes excluded) divided by total residential kWh. No Montana tariff prints it.

The single-month reading is higher. For August 2026, a preliminary month, EIA's figure was 15.57¢ per kWh (19th lowest), up 9.0% from 14.29¢ per kWh in August 2025. August 2026¹ was also Montana's most expensive month per kWh in that 12-month window, for reasons the season section explains, so a summer reading overstates the year. The full-year 2025 figure was 12.99¢ per kWh, 6th lowest³.

Among the 4 bordering states, 2 came in below Montana on the 12-month measure. North Dakota was cheapest at 12.35¢ per kWh; South Dakota, at 14.28¢ per kWh¹, was dearest.

United States18.04¢

South Dakota14.28¢

Wyoming14.01¢

Montana13.94¢

Idaho12.77¢

North Dakota12.35¢

Source: EIA, Electric Power Monthly / EIA-861M sales and revenue by state. Residential revenue divided by kilowatt-hours sold over the 12 months 2025-09 to 2026-08 (EIA-861M; months since January 2026 preliminary). Average revenue per kWh, all charges included; not a tariff. Period: September 2025 to August 2026.

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Area	Residential ¢/kWh, 12 months
United States	18.04¢
South Dakota	14.28¢
Wyoming	14.01¢
Montana	13.94¢
Idaho	12.77¢
North Dakota	12.35¢

Prices are now rising faster than the US average

For a quarter-century Montana's price climbed more slowly than the nation's. A kilowatt-hour cost Montana homes 6.88¢ per kWh⁴ on average in 2001 and 12.99¢ per kWh in 2025: 88.8% more, while the US figure grew 100.8%. Between 2020 and 2025 the gap was wider still, 15.6% in Montana (7th lowest of all states) and 31.0% nationally. Montana's annual average has not dropped since 2021; it went up in 21³ of the years after 2001.

MontanaUnited States

Source: EIA, Historical state data, annual sales, revenue and customers; EIA, Historical state data, monthly sales and revenue 1990-2009. Average revenue per kWh (all charges, nominal dollars), each calendar year: 2010 onward EIA-861 final annual data, 2001–2009 the sum of the monthly survey.

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Period	Montana (¢/kWh)	United States (¢/kWh)
2001	6.88¢	8.58¢
2002	7.23¢	8.44¢
2003	7.56¢	8.72¢
2004	7.86¢	8.95¢
2005	8.10¢	9.45¢
2006	8.28¢	10.40¢
2007	8.77¢	10.65¢
2008	9.13¢	11.26¢
2009	8.94¢	11.51¢
2010	9.16¢	11.54¢
2011	9.75¢	11.72¢
2012	10.08¢	11.88¢
2013	10.33¢	12.13¢
2014	10.18¢	12.52¢
2015	10.88¢	12.65¢
2016	10.94¢	12.55¢
2017	10.95¢	12.89¢
2018	10.96¢	12.87¢
2019	11.13¢	13.01¢
2020	11.24¢	13.15¢
2021	11.22¢	13.66¢
2022	11.33¢	15.04¢
2023	12.54¢	16.00¢
2024	12.66¢	16.48¢
2025	12.99¢	17.23¢

The slow pace has ended. Comparing September 2025 to August 2026 with the 12 months before, Montana's residential average gained 9.5%, the 13th highest increase in the country; the US gained 6.5%. Year to date (January to August 2026, preliminary), Montana stood +10.7% above the same stretch of 2025, 11th highest¹ among the states.

NorthWestern Energy, with most of the state's homes, rose slowly in 2025 and much faster in 2026. Its full-service residential average for 2025 was 14.42¢ per kWh, +1.3%⁵ on 2024. EIA's monthly sample puts its September 2025 to August 2026 average at 15.90¢ per kWh, and its August 2026 figure was +15.9%⁶ on the same month a year earlier, against +9.0%¹ for the state as a whole. All 2026 months are preliminary.

MontanaUnited States

Source: EIA, Electric Power Monthly / EIA-861M sales and revenue by state. Average revenue per kWh (all charges, nominal dollars), each month; summer and winter months differ by season. Monthly EIA data through August 2026 (released October 23, 2026); months since January 2026 are preliminary.

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Period	Montana (¢/kWh)	United States (¢/kWh)
Jan 2023	11.89¢	15.47¢
Feb 2023	11.96¢	15.98¢
Mar 2023	12.13¢	16.04¢
Apr 2023	12.26¢	16.10¢
May 2023	12.79¢	16.14¢
Jun 2023	13.16¢	16.09¢
Jul 2023	13.07¢	15.86¢
Aug 2023	12.93¢	15.91¢
Sep 2023	13.15¢	16.27¢
Oct 2023	12.93¢	16.48¢
Nov 2023	12.58¢	16.19¢
Dec 2023	12.58¢	15.69¢
Jan 2024	11.97¢	15.41¢
Feb 2024	11.95¢	16.10¢
Mar 2024	12.20¢	16.67¢
Apr 2024	12.50¢	16.86¢
May 2024	13.24¢	16.40¢
Jun 2024	13.56¢	16.38¢
Jul 2024	13.42¢	16.62¢
Aug 2024	13.28¢	16.60¢
Sep 2024	13.45¢	16.82¢
Oct 2024	13.32¢	17.09¢
Nov 2024	12.51¢	16.85¢
Dec 2024	11.88¢	16.27¢
Jan 2025	11.40¢	15.92¢
Feb 2025	11.61¢	16.40¢
Mar 2025	11.95¢	17.03¢
Apr 2025	12.33¢	17.20¢
May 2025	12.88¢	17.33¢
Jun 2025	14.95¢	17.44¢
Jul 2025	14.28¢	17.39¢
Aug 2025	14.29¢	17.57¢
Sep 2025	14.64¢	18.05¢
Oct 2025	14.27¢	17.95¢
Nov 2025	12.82¢	17.77¢
Dec 2025	12.78¢	17.11¢
Jan 2026	12.85¢	17.45¢
Feb 2026	13.32¢	17.65¢
Mar 2026	13.47¢	18.60¢
Apr 2026	13.90¢	18.86¢
May 2026	14.67¢	18.44¢
Jun 2026	15.14¢	18.34¢
Jul 2026	14.99¢	18.31¢
Aug 2026	15.57¢	18.16¢

One of the smallest electric bills in the country

EIA's 2025 figures put the average Montana home at 853 kWh a month, near the national 874 kWh, for a bill of $110.80: 5th lowest of the 50 states and DC, and $39.88 less a month than the US average. That bill was 2.7% higher than in 2024; the national one rose 5.9%². On a rolling basis (September 2025 to August 2026) the computed Montana bill was $115.15, the US one $157.84¹.

The Census Bureau's 2025 American Community Survey, which asks households what they paid, gives the same picture. Montana's estimated median was about $129 a month (5th lowest; US $169). Of Montana households that pay for electricity, 34.9% put their bill under $100, the 6th highest share; 12.9% put it at $250 or more, give or take ±0.6 percentage points⁷. Survey answers are remembered amounts with taxes in them, so they will not equal EIA's averages.

Under $50$50–99$100–149$150–199$200–249$250 or more

Montana

United States

Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 1-year estimates, table B25132. Households charged for electricity, by the cost they reported for the previous month (American Community Survey 2025, 1-year). Interviews run all year, so this is a typical month, recalled by the household; households whose electricity is included in rent are left out.

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	Under $50	$50–99	$100–149	$150–199	$200–249	$250 or more
Montana	8.3%	26.6%	26.1%	16.4%	9.7%	12.9%
United States	5.2%	17.9%	20.7%	16.7%	13.0%	26.6%

Heating months set the bill, summer barely registers

Montana has long winters and cool summers. NOAA's 2016–2025 averages give it 7,946 heating degree days a year, 3rd highest among the states with data, and just 232 cooling degree days, 2nd lowest⁸. When EIA last surveyed home energy use, in 2020, cooling accounted for 6% of a Montana home's electricity (2nd lowest) and heating for 21% (4th highest⁹). Most homes heat with something other than electricity: 26.9% relied mainly on it in 2025 by the Census Bureau's count, compared with 41.8%¹⁰ across the US.

In the 12 months to August 2026, the heaviest month was January 2026, at 1,100 kWh per home, and the lightest October 2025, at 663 kWh: 1.7 times as much in the peak. Price per kWh ran roughly the opposite way, lowest in December 2025 (12.78¢ per kWh) and highest in August 2026 (15.57¢ per kWh¹). A fixed monthly customer charge is spread over fewer kWh in light months, which lifts the average.

708Sep

663Oct

771Nov

991Dec

1,100Jan

974Feb

876Mar

784Apr

693May

677Jun

889Jul

784Aug

Source: EIA, Electric Power Monthly / EIA-861M sales and revenue by state. Residential kWh sold per customer in each month. The table adds that month's average residential price. Monthly EIA data through August 2026 (released October 23, 2026); months since January 2026 are preliminary.

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Month	kWh per customer	Residential ¢/kWh
September 2025	708	14.64¢
October 2025	663	14.27¢
November 2025	771	12.82¢
December 2025	991	12.78¢
January 2026	1,100	12.85¢
February 2026	974	13.32¢
March 2026	876	13.47¢
April 2026	784	13.90¢
May 2026	693	14.67¢
June 2026	677	15.14¢
July 2026	889	14.99¢
August 2026	784	15.57¢

Summer is therefore when Montana compares best. A home there used 784 kWh in August 2026 and was billed $122.11 on average, 3rd lowest nationally; the typical US home used 1,152 kWh and paid $209.23¹.

Wyoming$118.52

Washington$119.88

Montana$122.11

North Dakota$130.29

Oregon$134.77

Idaho$137.11

Alaska$139.22

Vermont$142.06

Minnesota$145.27

Wisconsin$147.68

Iowa$148.72

Nebraska$154.91

United States$209.23

Source: EIA, Electric Power Monthly / EIA-861M sales and revenue by state. Residential revenue in the month divided by customers. Period: August 2026.

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State	Average residential bill, 2026-08 (computed)
Wyoming	$118.52
Washington	$119.88
Montana	$122.11
North Dakota	$130.29
Oregon	$134.77
Idaho	$137.11
Alaska	$139.22
Vermont	$142.06
Minnesota	$145.27
Wisconsin	$147.68
Iowa	$148.72
Nebraska	$154.91
United States	$209.23

Montana electric companies: NorthWestern Energy and the cooperatives

NorthWestern Energy has 68.6% of Montana's residential customers on its wires and reports service in 36¹¹ counties. Member-owned cooperatives cover most of the remainder, led by Flathead Electric Cooperative (13.2%) and Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-op (4.4%). Two more pass the 10,000-home mark: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, an investor-owned company in the eastern counties (4.0%), and USBIA-Mission Valley Power, a federal utility that EIA lists under the Bureau of Indian Affairs (3.4%). In all, 35⁵ utilities reported Montana customers for 2025.

Ownership tracks price. For full-service residential customers in 2025, the investor-owned group averaged 14.30¢ per kWh, the co-ops 11.16¢ per kWh and Mission Valley Power, Montana's only sizeable public utility, 9.39¢ per kWh. Of the 6 utilities serving 10,000 homes or more, USBIA-Mission Valley Power was lowest at 9.39¢ per kWh and NorthWestern Energy highest at 14.42¢ per kWh, 5.03¢ per kWh apart. Measured nationally, NorthWestern's 14.42¢ per kWh was 18.9% below the national average for investor-owned utilities, 79th lowest of 177⁵ large utilities.

USBIA-Mission Valley Power9.39¢

Flathead Electric Cooperative10.04¢

Missoula Electric Cooperative10.93¢

Montana-Dakota Utilities Co12.33¢

Montana average12.99¢

Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-op14.22¢

NorthWestern Energy14.42¢

Source: EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2025 final. Utilities with 10,000 or more bundled (full-service) residential customers. Revenue divided by kWh sold, all charges included, EIA-861 2025 final. Darker bars have their own page. In this state, customers who buy supply from a competitive supplier are not in these averages (they pay delivery to the utility and supply to the supplier).

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Utility	¢/kWh
USBIA-Mission Valley Power	9.39¢
Flathead Electric Cooperative	10.04¢
Missoula Electric Cooperative	10.93¢
Montana-Dakota Utilities Co	12.33¢
Montana average	12.99¢
Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-op	14.22¢
NorthWestern Energy	14.42¢

The highest price, the smallest use

Price and bill rank Montana's utilities in different orders. A NorthWestern home took 707 kWh a month in 2025 and paid $101.97⁵, less than the statewide $110.80². Most of the other large utilities charge less per kWh but deliver more of it per home, so their average bills come out above NorthWestern's; Montana-Dakota Utilities is the exception, as the two charts show. Use per home depends on heating fuel and house size as much as on price.

NorthWestern Energy (MT)707

Montana-Dakota Utilities Co (MT)773

Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-op (MT)893

Missoula Electric Cooperative (MT)1,068

Flathead Electric Cooperative (MT)1,184

USBIA-Mission Valley Power (MT)1,274

Source: EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2025 final. EIA-861 2025 final. Average revenue per kWh is all charges divided by kWh; it is not a tariff rate.

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Utility	average monthly residential use
NorthWestern Energy (MT)	707
Montana-Dakota Utilities Co (MT)	773
Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-op (MT)	893
Missoula Electric Cooperative (MT)	1,068
Flathead Electric Cooperative (MT)	1,184
USBIA-Mission Valley Power (MT)	1,274

Montana-Dakota Utilities Co (MT)$95.31

NorthWestern Energy (MT)$101.97

Missoula Electric Cooperative (MT)$116.71

Flathead Electric Cooperative (MT)$118.87

USBIA-Mission Valley Power (MT)$119.71

Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-op (MT)$126.96

Source: EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2025 final. EIA-861 2025 final. Average revenue per kWh is all charges divided by kWh; it is not a tariff rate.

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Utility	average monthly residential bill
Montana-Dakota Utilities Co (MT)	$95.31
NorthWestern Energy (MT)	$101.97
Missoula Electric Cooperative (MT)	$116.71
Flathead Electric Cooperative (MT)	$118.87
USBIA-Mission Valley Power (MT)	$119.71
Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-op (MT)	$126.96

Which utility serves Kalispell, Missoula, Great Falls or Billings

EIA does not publish city prices. What it does publish is a list of the counties each utility serves, and in Montana those lists overlap almost everywhere: 55 of 56 counties have at least two distribution utilities, and Big Horn County has 8¹¹.

• Flathead County (Kalispell): Flathead Electric Cooperative, Lincoln Electric Cooperative, Glacier Electric Cooperative and Mission Valley Power. NorthWestern Energy does not appear in EIA's records for the county.
• Missoula County: NorthWestern Energy, Missoula Electric Cooperative, Ravalli County Electric Cooperative and Mission Valley Power.
• Cascade County (Great Falls): NorthWestern Energy, Sun River Electric Cooperative and Fergus Electric Cooperative.
• Yellowstone County (Billings): NorthWestern Energy, Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-op, Mid-Yellowstone Electric Cooperative and Fergus Electric Cooperative.
• Gallatin County (Bozeman) and Lewis and Clark County (Helena): NorthWestern Energy alongside rural cooperatives such as Park, Vigilante and Sun River.

Inside one county, cooperatives, a federal utility and an investor-owned company can all have lines; the boundary on each utility's own map decides a given address. Homes cannot pick a different supplier either: 0.0%⁵ of residential customers bought from one in 2025.

NorthWestern Energy only (of these)Flathead Electric Cooperative only (of these)Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-op only (of these)Montana-Dakota Utilities Co only (of these)USBIA-Mission Valley Power only (of these)Missoula Electric Cooperative only (of these)Two or more of themOther utilities only

Source: EIA-861 2025, service territory; Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file, counties. Counties where each utility reports serving customers (EIA-861 service territory, 2025). A utility often serves only part of a county, and several can share one: the map shows where each one is present, not street-level boundaries. Point at a county for every utility listed there.

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County	Utilities reporting service
Beaverhead County	NorthWestern Energy, Vigilante Electric Cooperative
Big Horn County	NorthWestern Energy, Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-op, Tongue River Electric Cooperative, Big Horn County Electric Cooperative, Mid-Yellowstone Electric Cooperative, Big Horn Rural Electric Co, Powder River Energy Corp, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration
Blaine County	NorthWestern Energy, Fergus Electric Cooperative, Hill County Electric Cooperative, Big Flat Electric Cooperative, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration
Broadwater County	NorthWestern Energy, Vigilante Electric Cooperative
Carbon County	NorthWestern Energy, Flathead Electric Cooperative, Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-op, Beartooth Electric Cooperative, Big Horn Rural Electric Co, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration
Carter County	Tongue River Electric Cooperative, Southeast Electric Cooperative, Grand Electric Cooperative, Black Hills Power
Cascade County	NorthWestern Energy, Fergus Electric Cooperative, Sun River Electric Cooperative, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration
Chouteau County	NorthWestern Energy, Fergus Electric Cooperative, Sun River Electric Cooperative, Hill County Electric Cooperative, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration
Custer County	Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, McCone Electric Cooperative, Tongue River Electric Cooperative, Southeast Electric Cooperative, Mid-Yellowstone Electric Cooperative, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration
Daniels County	Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Sheridan Electric Cooperative, NorVal Electric Cooperative
Dawson County	Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, McCone Electric Cooperative, Tongue River Electric Cooperative, Lower Yellowstone R E A, Goldenwest Electric Cooperative, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration
Deer Lodge County	NorthWestern Energy, Vigilante Electric Cooperative
Fallon County	Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Tongue River Electric Cooperative, Southeast Electric Cooperative, Goldenwest Electric Cooperative, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration
Fergus County	NorthWestern Energy, Fergus Electric Cooperative, Hill County Electric Cooperative
Flathead County	Flathead Electric Cooperative, USBIA-Mission Valley Power, Glacier Electric Cooperative, Lincoln Electric Cooperative
Gallatin County	NorthWestern Energy, Vigilante Electric Cooperative, Park Electric Cooperative, Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative
Garfield County	McCone Electric Cooperative, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration
Glacier County	Glacier Electric Cooperative
Golden Valley County	NorthWestern Energy, Fergus Electric Cooperative
Granite County	NorthWestern Energy, Missoula Electric Cooperative
Hill County	NorthWestern Energy, Hill County Electric Cooperative, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration
Jefferson County	NorthWestern Energy, Vigilante Electric Cooperative
Judith Basin County	NorthWestern Energy, Fergus Electric Cooperative, Sun River Electric Cooperative
Lake County	Flathead Electric Cooperative, USBIA-Mission Valley Power, Missoula Electric Cooperative
Lewis and Clark County	NorthWestern Energy, Vigilante Electric Cooperative, Sun River Electric Cooperative, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration
Liberty County	NorthWestern Energy, Sun River Electric Cooperative, Hill County Electric Cooperative, Marias River Electric Cooperative, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration
Lincoln County	Flathead Electric Cooperative, Lincoln Electric Cooperative, Northern Lights, City of Troy
Madison County	NorthWestern Energy, Vigilante Electric Cooperative
McCone County	Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, McCone Electric Cooperative, NorVal Electric Cooperative, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration
Meagher County	NorthWestern Energy, Vigilante Electric Cooperative, Park Electric Cooperative, Fergus Electric Cooperative
Mineral County	NorthWestern Energy, Missoula Electric Cooperative
Missoula County	NorthWestern Energy, USBIA-Mission Valley Power, Missoula Electric Cooperative, Ravalli County Electric Cooperative
Musselshell County	NorthWestern Energy, Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-op, Fergus Electric Cooperative
Park County	NorthWestern Energy, Flathead Electric Cooperative, Park Electric Cooperative
Petroleum County	Fergus Electric Cooperative, McCone Electric Cooperative
Phillips County	NorthWestern Energy, Big Flat Electric Cooperative, NorVal Electric Cooperative, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration
Pondera County	NorthWestern Energy, Glacier Electric Cooperative, Sun River Electric Cooperative, Marias River Electric Cooperative, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration
Powder River County	Tongue River Electric Cooperative, Southeast Electric Cooperative, Powder River Energy Corp, Black Hills Power
Powell County	NorthWestern Energy, Missoula Electric Cooperative
Prairie County	Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, McCone Electric Cooperative, Tongue River Electric Cooperative, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration
Ravalli County	NorthWestern Energy, Missoula Electric Cooperative, Ravalli County Electric Cooperative
Richland County	Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, McCone Electric Cooperative, Lower Yellowstone R E A, McKenzie Electric Cooperative, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration
Roosevelt County	Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, McCone Electric Cooperative, Sheridan Electric Cooperative, Lower Yellowstone R E A, NorVal Electric Cooperative, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration
Rosebud County	NorthWestern Energy, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, McCone Electric Cooperative, Tongue River Electric Cooperative, Mid-Yellowstone Electric Cooperative, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration
Sanders County	NorthWestern Energy, Flathead Electric Cooperative, USBIA-Mission Valley Power, Northern Lights, Avista Corp
Sheridan County	Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Sheridan Electric Cooperative
Silver Bow County	NorthWestern Energy, Vigilante Electric Cooperative
Stillwater County	NorthWestern Energy, Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-op, Fergus Electric Cooperative, Beartooth Electric Cooperative
Sweet Grass County	NorthWestern Energy, Park Electric Cooperative, Fergus Electric Cooperative, Beartooth Electric Cooperative
Teton County	NorthWestern Energy, Sun River Electric Cooperative, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration
Toole County	Glacier Electric Cooperative, Sun River Electric Cooperative, Marias River Electric Cooperative, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration
Treasure County	Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-op, Fergus Electric Cooperative, Mid-Yellowstone Electric Cooperative, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration
Valley County	NorthWestern Energy, Big Flat Electric Cooperative, NorVal Electric Cooperative, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration
Wheatland County	NorthWestern Energy, Fergus Electric Cooperative
Wibaux County	Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Goldenwest Electric Cooperative, McKenzie Electric Cooperative, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration
Yellowstone County	NorthWestern Energy, Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-op, Fergus Electric Cooperative, Mid-Yellowstone Electric Cooperative, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration

Coal, water and wind, much of it sent out of state

In 2025 Montana generated 26.7 terawatt-hours, which is 174% of what its own retail customers bought (2nd highest of all states; US 109%¹³). The state makes far more electricity than its homes and businesses use, and the difference flows to other states over the regional grid.

Coal led the 2025 mix with 36.0%, well below its 54.6% of 2015. Dams on Montana's rivers supplied 31.6%, a 5th highest hydropower share, and wind 23.3%, a gain of 16.6 percentage points since 2015. Gas, the largest source nationally at 40.9%, produced just 4.9%; nuclear produced nothing. Counting hydro, wind and the rest, renewables made 56.3%¹³ of the 2025 total.

Natural gasCoalNuclearHydroWindSolarPetroleumOther

Montana, 2025

Montana, 2015

United States, 2025

Source: EIA, Net generation by state by type of producer by energy source. Share of net generation by all power plants located in the state (utilities and independent producers), by energy source. Electricity crosses state lines, so this is what the state produces, not exactly what its customers consume. Pumped storage is a net user of power and is left out.

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	Natural gas	Coal	Nuclear	Hydro	Wind	Solar	Petroleum	Other
Montana, 2025	4.9%	36.0%	0.0%	31.6%	23.3%	1.3%	1.8%	1.1%
Montana, 2015	2.0%	54.6%	0.0%	33.7%	6.7%	0.0%	1.7%	1.2%
United States, 2025	40.9%	16.6%	17.7%	5.5%	10.4%	6.8%	0.4%	1.7%

Businesses and industry

Over 12 months, large industrial users were the exception to Montana's rising prices. Their September 2025 to August 2026 average of 6.95¢ per kWh sat 22.0% below the US average and was 2.5% lower than in the prior 12 months (4th lowest change nationally). Commercial customers went the other way: 12.67¢ per kWh over the same period, 8.7% below the US average, up 8.2%¹.

Montana shops and offices use little power. A commercial account averaged 3,009 kWh a month in 2025 (2nd lowest), and its bill of $357.44 was the lowest anywhere in the US, where the average was $856.32². A few of NorthWestern Energy's big accounts buy power from other suppliers and pay the utility only to deliver it: 503 commercial and 35⁵ industrial in 2025.

MontanaUnited States

Residential13.94¢ 18.04¢

Commercial12.67¢ 13.87¢

Industrial6.95¢ 8.91¢

All sectors11.49¢ 14.15¢

Source: EIA, Electric Power Monthly / EIA-861M sales and revenue by state. Average revenue per kWh: what each customer class paid in total divided by what it used. Industrial customers take power at higher voltage and in large, steady volumes, so their average is lower. Monthly EIA data through August 2026 (released October 23, 2026); months since January 2026 are preliminary.

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Sector	Montana (¢/kWh)	United States (¢/kWh)
Residential	13.94¢	18.04¢
Commercial	12.67¢	13.87¢
Industrial	6.95¢	8.91¢
All sectors	11.49¢	14.15¢

Outages, meters, time-of-use and rooftop solar

Including major events, the average Montana customer was without power for 288 minutes in 2025; leaving those events out, 137 minutes. Major events thus more than doubled the total. Customers saw 1.36 interruptions each on average. NorthWestern Energy's figure, major events included, was 125 minutes, fewer than the Montana average of 288 minutes¹⁴. Every state is compared in the power outages ranking.

Advanced meters made up 84.6% of residential meters in 2025 (96.1% at NorthWestern). 17.0% of homes were billed on time-varying rates, 9th highest nationally, and 12,536 had net-metered rooftop solar (22.2¹⁵ for every thousand residential customers).

Help paying a Montana electric bill

For fiscal 2026 Montana received $23.6 million from the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), or $49.00 for each occupied home, 11th highest among the states. The initial fiscal 2027 allocation was $20.8 million¹⁶. Montana bills are largest in winter: use per home peaked in January 2026¹ over the last 12 months. Our guide to help paying an electric bill covers LIHEAP and utility payment programs.