NorthWestern Energy

Beating the Storm. 💪 #CapturingNWE 📸: Daniel Walsh, Meter Shop Foreman Image from NorthWestern Energy’s 2024 Calendar.

While we work to deliver the power our customers need, we also work to protect our native birds that sometimes interact with our electric system. We have osprey platforms located throughout our service territories. See this work in action and keep up-to-date on all nesting news – live from one of the osprey cams. 🔗➡️ https://bit.ly/3Ud9uuk Learn more about our efforts: https://bit.ly/4cQGH64

Engineer Logan Mayernik is energized by his new job in Transmission at NorthWestern Energy. “Transmission is the backbone of everything,” said Mayernik, who works in Great Falls, Montana. “It’s meaningful, vital work to our community and we get to play a role in that.” As a new Central Construction Electric Transmission Engineer, Mayernik appreciates all the hands-on training he’s received, and is excited to be designing and analyzing with PLSCADD (Power Line Systems Computer Aided Design and Drafting,) because it’s more detailed than other programs, and used around the world by utilities. Owen Antonich, who used to have Mayernik’s job in Great Falls, is now Mayernik’s supervisor as Superintendent of Construction. He has a job opening for Mayernik’s position in Helena, Montana. (Check out the job posting here 🔗https://bit.ly/4cYkKB6) “You can be your own unique engineer, but still work within our design standards,” Antonich pointed out as a perk of the job. Both Mayernik and Antonich appreciate the flexibility of the position. As long as work is getting done, Central Construction Electric Transmission Engineers can schedule their workday how they’d like. For example, an engineer might choose to work in the office in the morning, designing a project, then spend the afternoon with a crew, learning how the foreman is executing your design. “We work in unison with everyone across the company, but everyone designs a little differently,” said Antonich. “You learn different ways of designing by watching different crews work.” Mayernik said he appreciates the time all engineers across NorthWestern will always lend a hand to help with a design. The Transmission group is always helping each other out, which is also a great way for engineers to receive some cross-training. “I’m learning from all engineers in all Divisions,” he said. “It’s a community.”

Yanny Park Garden, Kearney, NE. #CapturingNWE 📸: Melinda Leigh, Customer Associate Image from NorthWestern Energy’s 2024 Calendar.

To all the lineworkers out there, thank you for your service. We see you, and we appreciate you. Thank you for always being there to keep the lights on, no matter what. ❤️💡 #ThankALineworker #NationalLineworkerAppreciationDay

Jefferson County in Montana needs an animal shelter. Sixteen years ago, Montana State University conducted a study on what was needed in the county, and an animal shelter was high on the list. From that study, the nonprofit organization Animal Shelter & Care of Jefferson County was formed with the mission of promoting “humane treatment of animals through shelter, education and spay/neuter endeavors.” Since then, the nonprofit, known as AS&C for short, has been hard at work to raise funds to build a shelter. Along the way, it has also offered spay and neuter clinics, vaccination clinics, animal fostering, and pet search and rescue. For the last eight years, NorthWestern Energy has donated to Animal Shelter & Care of Jefferson County’s spay and neuter program and other efforts. “We are very grateful that NorthWestern Energy has been so good to us,” said Cheryl Haasakker, AS&C President. Building an animal shelter is no easy feat. The organization has received some grants, including from NorthWestern Energy, but mainly it relies on donations and volunteers. The nonprofit organization Animal Shelter & Care of Jefferson County is working to build a 700-square-foot shelter building in Boulder, Montana. “We rely a lot on in-kind services,” Cheryl said. AS&C constructed a 700-square-foot shelter building in 2023. Work is now underway to finish the interior of the building, with hopes of having it open soon. The building will have four indoor/outdoor dog kennels and four to six cat condos. It will give the organization a place to house lost or surrendered animals, which are currently all cared for in foster homes. The nonprofit organization Animal Shelter & Care of Jefferson County is working to build a 700-square-foot shelter building in Boulder, Montana. Down the road, AS&C plans to build a 5,000-square-foot shelter that can accommodate spay and neuter clinics, vaccination clinics, dog training and more. “We want this to be the first place people come for help instead of surrendering an animal,” Cheryl said. Once the larger shelter is built, the 700-square-foot building will be used by law enforcement if they find animals during off-hours. Read more 🔗➡️ https://bit.ly/3Xi0mqd Animal Shelter & Care of Jefferson County hosts numerous fundraisers throughout the year. To learn more about the organization, attend an event or donate, visit https://ascjeffco.org. #BrightMagazine

Happy Fourth of July! 🇺🇸 #CapturingNWE 📸: Tony Ell, DOC Controller Image from NorthWestern Energy’s 2024 Calendar.

We're proud to support our communities through local charitable donations and sponsorship, economic development opportunities, United Way, chambers of commerce, scholarships, professional association dues and employee volunteer efforts. Find more information on how we give back in Bright Magazine at https://lnkd.in/gH-63dPy

Horses at sunset near Butte. 🏞️ #CapturingNWE 📸: Nicole Swoboda, Gas Measurement Coordinator Image from NorthWestern Energy’s 2024 Calendar.

It all began with a bare field and a dream. When the Webster baseball community needed a new field, Chad Hesla, the Webster Complex Coordinator, took the lead. “I filled out an application and applied for a community grant through NorthWestern Energy to help fund the project,” Chad said. Local donations from various organizations, businesses, grants and in-kind labor further supported the project’s vision. Through these collective efforts, approximately $125,000 was raised to bring the project to life. In 2023, NorthWestern Energy donated $7,500 to the project. Out of this donation, $5,000 directly contributed to the construction of the new baseball field while additionally providing four poles, along with labor for installing them. “I worked with the head groundskeeper from Target Field, and we came up with a scaled-down model of Target Field,” Chad said. The dimensions were adjusted, with fences at 50% of the height, bases at 45 feet instead of 90, and an overall layout reminiscent of a professional baseball field. A company from Minneapolis, led by a former groundskeeper for the Los Angeles Dodgers, was brought in for the dirt work and field preparation. Mike Baumgarn, Electric Operations Supervisor at NorthWestern, went above and beyond to enhance the field even more. “I went and put irrigation in for them, dug the trench, just as another way of helping out,” Mike said. After two months of hard work, the project was completed in July 2023, just in time to enjoy the rest of the summer season. Looking forward to the upcoming summer season, Chad expressed his eagerness to see children enjoying the field and playing baseball. “It’s a great problem to have, but I’d go out there on a weekend to work and have to come back home because there were kids out there playing,” Chad said. “I couldn’t even get the work done. So it’s a great problem to have, and it’s fun to see.” Reflecting on the project’s impact, Chad emphasized, “Kids would never have this opportunity without great companies and organizations like NorthWestern Energy, and all the donations and everything made the whole project possible.” Explore the latest issue of Bright Magazine: Community 2024 🔗➡️ https://bit.ly/3UCdnch