Contact Information
Howard Skjervem
Helena Area Community Relations Manager
Providing Specialized Services
NorthWestern Energy provides specialized services to its largest electric and natural gas customers.
Key Accounts
Key Account customers include industrial, commercial, government, non-profits, and national chains. In Montana, these customers are generally over 1 MW in size and in South Dakota/Nebraska these customers are the Top 25 EL/NG customers in usage and revenues.
Key Account Customer Service
Key Account Customer Service
NorthWestern Energy Key Account Managers maintain regular contact with key account customers and meet with them several times per year. The Managers provide these customers 24/7 customer service. If a Manager isn’t able to provide an immediate resolution to an inquiry, they will provide timely updates until the issue is resolved. Additionally, Managers provide service to national retail chain customers and trade associations.
Key Account Contacts
NorthWestern Energy’s Key Account Managers are the Company’s primary administrator and contractual contact for these customers. If concerns involve operational issues, they work as a team with local area/division employees providing these customers with day-to-day utility services.
NorthWestern Energy’s Key Account Managers offer the following customer services:
- Coordinate Key Account customer issues with internal departments, including: Regulatory Affairs, Load Forecasting, Transmission Marketing, Executive Management, Retail Operations, Wholesale Operations, Customer Services, Division Operations, and Legal.
- Coordinate Key Account customers’ new electric and natural gas line extensions with operations.
- Assist with the application process for Load Interconnection Studies for new or existing Industrial/ Commercial Customers adding over 1 MW of electric load or requiring substation/transmission level service. (Montana Only)
- Provide electric and natural gas energy usage information, billing analysis, customer billing changes, account name changes, etc.
- Provide information on power factor, electric reliability and information on natural gas by-pass issues in Montana.
- Develop and administer contracts, including distribution contracts for customers over 5,000 kW (5MW) demand, lease agreements or transmission contracts. In South Dakota, administer Option L contracts.
- Provide large customer Universal System Benefits (USB) information, quarterly payments, coordinate annual reporting with the Department of Revenue, and maintain USB database. (Montana only)
- Coordinate with Transmission Marketing to provide customers with transmission cost estimates and transmission agreements.
- Provide information regarding the Company’s energy efficiency programs and opportunities.
- Provide national chain customers with updates on rate changes, company issues, etc.
- Assist with emergency electric load reduction procedures for system-wide or regional resource deficiency.
- Assist with the notification and updates to large natural gas customers that may need to curtail usage during critical natural gas operation periods.
Helping Our Communities Grow
NorthWestern Energy is proud to have a rich heritage of providing utility services that contribute to the growth and economic prosperity in our communities.