Electricity Prices
Montana's average retail electricity price was about 11.9 cents per kWh in 2024, below the national average thanks to abundant hydropower and coal generation.
Electricity price per kWh (West region)
1979–2024BLS Average Price Data, annual average (APU040072610).
Natural gas price for power plants
1997–2025U.S. EIA Natural Gas Annual, price delivered to electric power consumers (N3045MT3).
| Indicator | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Average retail electricity price (c/kWh) | 11.9 | 15.8 |
- •Montana's industrial electricity rates are among the lowest in the western United States.
Energy Production
Montana produced roughly 2.9 quadrillion Btu of primary energy in 2023, ranking among the top coal-producing states in the nation thanks to the Powder River Basin.
Natural gas marketed production
1967–2025U.S. EIA Natural Gas Annual, marketed production (N9050MT2).
| Indicator | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Primary energy production (quad Btu) | 2.9 | 95.5 |
- •Montana holds the largest coal reserves of any U.S. state.
- •The Colstrip plant is one of the largest coal-fired power stations in the western U.S.
Renewable Energy
Renewables, mainly hydropower, supplied about 44% of Montana's net electricity generation in 2023, one of the highest renewable shares in the country.
Renewables share of total energy consumption
1960–2024U.S. EIA State Energy Data System, renewable energy (RETCB) ÷ total energy consumption (TETCB).
Renewable energy consumption
1960–2024U.S. EIA State Energy Data System, all renewable sources (RETCB), consumption in billion Btu.
Hydroelectric power
1960–2024U.S. EIA State Energy Data System, hydroelectric power (HYTCB), consumption in billion Btu.
| Indicator | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Renewable share of electricity generation (%) | 44 | 21.4 |
- •Hydropower alone supplies about a third of Montana's electricity.
Solar Energy
Solar remains a small but growing part of Montana's energy mix, with roughly 130 MW of installed solar capacity as of 2023, ranking near the bottom nationally.
Solar energy consumption
1991–2024U.S. EIA State Energy Data System, solar, all uses (SOTCB), consumption in billion Btu.
| Indicator | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Installed solar capacity (MW) | 130 | 4200 |
- •Montana's solar capacity has more than tripled since 2018.
Wind Energy
Wind power generated about 9% of Montana's electricity in 2023, supported by nearly 900 MW of installed wind capacity concentrated near Judith Gap and Glacier County.
Wind energy consumption
2006–2024U.S. EIA State Energy Data System, wind (WYTCB), consumption in billion Btu.
| Indicator | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Installed wind capacity (MW) | 890 | 147000 |
- •The Judith Gap wind farm was one of the first large wind projects built in Montana.
Natural Gas
Montana produced about 55 billion cubic feet of natural gas in 2023, a modest but steady contributor to the state's energy portfolio from Bakken and other basins.
Residential natural gas price
1967–2025U.S. EIA Natural Gas Annual, price delivered to residential consumers (N3010MT3).
Natural gas consumption
1997–2024U.S. EIA Natural Gas Annual, total consumption (NA1490_SMT_2).
| Indicator | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas production (Bcf/yr) | 55 | 38000 |
- •Nearly half of Montana households use natural gas as their primary heating fuel.
Energy Consumption
Montana consumed about 430 trillion Btu of energy in 2022, with per-capita consumption among the highest in the country due to industry and cold winters.
Total energy consumption
1960–2024U.S. EIA State Energy Data System, all sources (TETCB), consumption in billion Btu.
Transportation sector energy consumption
1960–2024U.S. EIA State Energy Data System, transportation sector (TEACB), consumption in billion Btu.
Natural gas consumption
1997–2024U.S. EIA Natural Gas Annual, total consumption.
| Indicator | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Per-capita energy consumption (million Btu) | 392 | 265 |
- •Montana's per-capita energy use ranks among the top 10 states nationally.