To NorthWestern Energy, operational excellence means continually improving performance

NorthWestern Energy has focused its recent digital transformation efforts on building a scalable network infrastructure that is both resilient and secure, its manager of networks said, but the Big Sky Country utility’s technology upgrades have been tailored toward its special overall needs for improved customer experience, grid modernization, and—especially—wildfire mitigation.

NorthWestern provides electricity and natural gas to customers in the western two-thirds of Montana, eastern South Dakota, Nebraska, and Yellowstone National Park. The utility operates and owns a mix of power generation resources, including wind, water, natural gas, and coal-fired plants as well as the necessary transmission and distribution systems.

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“When you talk about operational excellence, to me that means continually improving performance,” said Kelly Ferriter, NorthWestern’s manager of networks, “and when I think about the last few years … a few things immediately come to mind: customer experience, grid modernization and our wildfire mitigation efforts.”

Ferriter continued to Smart Industry: “One of the biggest challenges we’ve faced is understanding the specific communication and network requirements of our operations teams. Their ability to perform daily tasks efficiently depends on having reliable, secure connectivity. To address this, we’ve focused on building a scalable network infrastructure that is both resilient and secure—capable of protecting our systems while enabling seamless operations.”

Much of NorthWestern’s focus has gone toward building in two-way communication between the utility and its customers, he said, such as implementation of its advanced metering technology.

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This provides system voltage information, identifying problems before they cause outages, and allows the company to pinpoint outage locations for quicker response and mean time to repair. This also gives current energy use information to customers to answer questions about bills, energy use, and opportunities for energy savings, Ferriter emphasized.

“NorthWestern Energy has always taken our wildfire mitigation efforts seriously, but recent events across the country, especially on the West Coast and Hawaii, have made those efforts even more important,” he added. “Over the last year, Northwestern has been installing cameras and weather stations throughout our service territory to help detect wildfires more quickly with location information and send alerts to authorities in the local areas so they can respond accordingly.”

The weather stations also help with predictive measures so the utility can make informed decisions on grid operations to help mitigate fire risks, which helps protect our customers and the infrastructure that supports our customers, Ferriter said.

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Any utility has pressure on it to generate more power, but NorthWestern has supported its own push the past 12 to 24 months with its network and cybersecurity initiatives, Ferriter added, and has overcome challenges through strong collaboration and open communication across departments.

“Ensuring that all stakeholders understood both the technical needs and the operational goals helped bridge traditional IT/OT siloes and align our efforts toward shared outcomes,” he said.

Ferriter noted: “Over the course of our industrial transformation, one of the most important lessons I’ve learned is the value of adaptability, both in technology and in team dynamics. A key component of grid modernization is technology and having people that are adept to change and able to shift gears and tackle new concepts is important to success.”