Bankrupt Mont. power co-op trustee offers proposal

The proposal Southern Montana Electric Generation and Transmission Cooperative submitted to federal bankruptcy court calls for the cooperative to retain ownership of the little-used Highwood power plant near Great Falls.

But Southern Montana would need to buy additional power from one of three entities — Shell Energy North America, PPL Energy or Morgan Stanley Capital Group.

Negotiations with the three continue to see which will offer the best prices under a long-term power purchase agreement, said trustee attorney John Parks.

Southern Montana also would continue selling power to its six member cooperatives under the trustee's plan.

At least three of those members — Yellowstone Valley Electric, the city of Great Falls and Beartooth Electric — already have clashed with the trustee during the bankruptcy case.

Great Falls and Yellowstone Valley have sought to get out of the Southern Montana cooperative.