NorthWestern Energy (NorthWestern Corporation)

NorthWestern Energy does not offer an EV-specific residential time-of-use rate. The utility bills its Montana residential customers on a structure that splits a Supply Rate, which covers the cost of the electricity itself, from a Delivery Rate. Its filed Montana tariffs include a Residential Smart Grid Time-of-Use Demonstration, Schedule RSGTOUD-1, but that schedule applies only to volunteers selected for a Helena pilot, is not designed for EV charging, and by its own terms ended no later than August 1, 2014, even though it is still listed. NorthWestern's tariff list shows no EV-specific rate, so most Montana EV owners on NorthWestern service should expect to charge on a standard residential rate.

NorthWestern's rebates run through its Efficiency Plus (E+) programs, which focus on home energy savings rather than EV chargers. No NorthWestern residential or commercial EVSE rebate could be confirmed from the utility's own pages or from the DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center, and no managed-charging or smart-charging enrollment program was found. An EV owner looking to offset a home charger install should not count on a NorthWestern rebate.

NorthWestern's Montana tariffs sit under Montana Public Service Commission oversight, and its residential delivery schedule also covers customers who buy supply from a competitive electric supplier, so a supply choice may exist for some customers. The public EV charging an owner sees along Montana highways is driven mostly by the Montana Department of Transportation's federal NEVI corridor plan, not by a NorthWestern customer program. NorthWestern's Montana tariffs also include a Public Charging Station Tax schedule (PCST-1, effective December 2023), which collects Montana's tax on public charging stations above 25 kilowatts; it is a tax tariff, not a charging rate or discount. NorthWestern's territory also reaches two northwest Wyoming counties, where program applicability can differ.