Great Falls Public Schools is soliciting bids for its natural gas supply.

The district has historically contracted directly with a natural gas company using long-term contracts to keep costs low.

The current contract expires June 30 and since NorthWestern Energy acquired EnergyWest, GFPS doesn’t have the option to renew, Luke Diekhans, GFPS’ business operations manager, told the school board during their April 27 meeting.

The board approved staff’s plan to issue a request for proposals on April 28, with bids due by May 26 and the contract finalized by May 29 for service to begin July 1.

GFPS approves blended energy contract [2025]

The district must give 30 days notice to its current supplier, Diekhans said.

Jim Morin, the district’s energy consultant who also consults for the City of Great Falls, told the board that when NWE purchased EnergyWest, the company hadn’t decided if it would offer third-party natural gas supply, but has since opted not to do so.

NWE sold the non-regulated portion to Jefferson Energy Trading out of Whitehall, Morin said, with service continuing through June 30, “so really, the district had no choice but to go out for an RFP.”

City extending natural gas contract [2023]

He said that natural gas rates will rise over the next few years, but not significantly.

Over the last three years, the average commodity gas price was $1.49, excluding other associated costs like transmission.

The market forecast for the next three years is an average price of $1.66, he said.

The district is requesting pricing in the RFP for one, two or three-year contracts for consideration.