Update: NorthWestern Energy says power shutoff ' is not imminent'

Update Wednesday, July 24

NorthWestern Energy on Wednesday said a possible power shutoff for public safety reasons "is not imminent."

The power company on Tuesday alerted Montana residents that high temperatures and possible stong winds could call for the company to shut down some power lines to prevent possible wildfires.

Here's the full statement from NorthWestern Energy on its Facebook page Wednesday:

There are no Public Safety Power Shutoffs planned at this time. Based on assessment of the forecasted conditions, we are confident that a Public Safety Power Shutoff is not imminent for any of our Montana customers at this time. As we do throughout the fire season, we will continue to monitor, analyze and assess wildfire conditions.

Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) are an important new defense that has been added to our wildfire mitigation efforts. It is important to know that it is a “defense of last resort”. PSPS is the defense that will be employed when conditions are expected to be so severe, that all other defenses are deemed insufficient.

We want to thank our customers for their attention and response. We understand no one wants to be without power. Our top priority is to keep our customers and communities safe.

Please visit our website for the latest information. NorthWesternEnergy.com/PSPS

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Original Report Tuesday, July 23

BILLINGS - NorthWestern Energy announced Tuesday it is monitoring weather conditions in Montana for a possible "public safety power shutoff."

"At this time, we are closely watching weather forecasts calling for high winds combined with high temperatures and low humidity forecasted for Thursday afternoon, July 25," the company said in a press release. "We have entered the 1.1 Monitoring Stage of our Public Safety Power Shutoff Plan."

There are no planned power outages at this time, the company said.

"This is the earliest stage of the plan. If extreme weather conditions threaten our ability to safely operate the electrical grid, we will turn off power to help protect public safety. This is called a Public Safety Power Shutoff, or PSPS."

If a customer’s power is to be shut off, NorthWestern said it will contact the customer directly by email and/or phone at the email address or phone number they have on file.

"We continue to watch the forecasted wind event. 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."