Butte, Mont. - Jan. 25, 2012 -  Very high winds are battering parts of Montana prompting NorthWestern Energy to remind customers to be on the lookout for downed or low-hanging power lines. 

As of midday, NorthWestern Energy is reporting dozens of scattered outages, mostly in central and north central Montana as strong, gusty winds push through the area.  Customers calling to report outages may experience extended on-hold times in the event of a large-scale outage situation. 

Customers who wish to report an outage but who don't want to wait on hold to speak to a representative can leave a message by following the prompts within the telephone system.

Customers are reminded to use caution and common sense around electric power lines that are sagging or downed.  Never attempt to touch or move a low-hanging wire as lines may still be energized even if they are lying on the ground.

Here are a few reminders in case electric service to your home or business is interrupted:

  • Contact NorthWestern Energy at 888-467-2669 to report outages, downed or sagging power lines.If you see fallen or sagging electrical wires, assume that they are "live" and stay clear of the lines.  Keep others away from wires and any other structures that may be energized.  Call your local utility or local emergency services to report a downed or sagging power line.
  • Use portable generators only if a licensed electrical contractor in accordance with all federal and state codes and local ordinances has properly installed them.  Portable generators should not be connected directly to your house or any building wiring.  Doing so may feed power back on to our electric lines and threaten the safety of our employees working to restore an outage.
  • Beware of fallen or broken branches and trees as they are a major cause of power outages and could be energized if they are in or come in contact with a live electric line.
  • Keep an emergency kit ready: include flashlights, battery powered radio, canned foods that require no cooking, and fresh batteries.  Some other things to be remember: only non-electric land line phones work during storm events when power is interrupted, and keep your cell phone fully-charged when storm events are forecasted.  Also some cell phone towers do not work at full power after losing an electric feed.
  • Shut off appliances, lights and unplug sensitive electronic equipment.  Using a surge protector also helps to protect sensitive electronic equipment such as televisions and computers.

NorthWestern Energy's 
Customer Service Number is 888-467-2669

About NorthWestern Energy
NorthWestern Energy provides electricity and natural gas in the Upper Midwest and Northwest, serving approximately 665,000 customers in Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. More information on NorthWestern Energy is available on the Company's Web site at .

Media Contact:
Claudia Rapkoch
(866) 622-8081
claudia.rapkoch@northwestern.com

Investor Relations Contact:
Dan Rausch
(605) 978-2902
daniel.rausch@northwestern.com

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