Montanans Voice Anger Over Possible Planned Outages.

Montana is currently in the middle of a heatwave. Folks from all over the state are doing their best to stay cool, especially those without air conditioning.

via GIPHY

While many folks are rushing out to buy portable ACs, fans, and other devices that might help them take on the heat, recent news from NorthWestern Energy raised more than one eyebrow when the company said they're preparing for the possibility of planned outages.

What is a planned outage and how will it affect the state?

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What does that mean? Well, it means the time may come due to the strain on the grid, they will have to shut down power to selected areas for a certain amount of time.

As you can imagine, this was not welcomed news to the residents of Montana. Many locals went on social media and voiced their displeasure with the idea and the company itself. As I was looking through comments on social media, I came across a few worth sharing:

"But yet here we are dealing with your insane delivery charge and increased rates! "

I'm glad someone mentioned this because I don't understand the delivery charges. Most months those are more than the actual power I use.

"PERFECT TIMING! First, the announcement that they just petitioned the Montana Public Service Commission about RAISING their rates again. Then, oh, by the way, we're going to start cutting your power."

I mean, they have a point. You would think if you pay more, you get more, right? Or is that just me?

"Great! No a/c, no fans, no refrigeration, no water from the well pump! Awesome!"

We should mention the reason this whole thing came about was the possibility of high winds which could cause downed power lines, which could lead to fires. In a statement from NorthWestern Energy, they said the following:

"If a customer’s power is going to be shut off, we will contact you directly via email and/or phone at the email address or phone number we have on file." 

"If a planned power outage is needed for public safety, it is most likely in wildfire-prone areas outside Butte, Helena, Great Falls, or Bozeman."

While no one wants to see more fires, I think the root of the problem is that people are frustrated. They're paying more for housing, more for gas, more for groceries, and more for utilities. So, when the utility company is planning on a hike in rates AND says they might have to shut down power during the hottest time of the year, it rubs people the wrong way.