Montana: every permit portal for solar, wind, and storage
The quick find: which office handles each approval a utility-scale project touches in Montana, with the agency's own page. Counties and cities add their own land-use approvals; the state table is the part that is the same across the state.
State and grid
| Approval | Where to go |
|---|---|
| State siting or certificateWhether the state itself approves where a generating facility goes, or leaves it to counties and cities. | Major Facility Siting Act (transmission 69 kV+; generation exempt since 2001)Montana DEQ, Energy Permitting and Operator AssistanceSection page, not a dedicated MFSA page: 'Transmission and Energy Facility Siting' section states 'The Montana Major Facility Siting Act (MFSA) provides for state agency review of certain facilities'. No dedicated MFSA page found. |
| Grid interconnectionThe queue the project enters to connect: the regional grid operator, or the utility and public utility commission outside an RTO. | NorthWestern Energy (non-RTO) exact page not confirmedLook for: Generator interconnection · the exact page did not answer our check, so this goes to the agency's site |
| Construction stormwater permitNPDES coverage for land disturbance of one acre or more, before earthwork starts. | Construction stormwater general permit (MTR100000)Montana Department of Environmental Quality |
| Historic preservation reviewSection 106 consultation through the State Historic Preservation Office when a federal permit, federal funding or federal land is involved; many states add their own review on state land. | Project Review & Compliance (Section 106)Montana State Historic Preservation OfficeConfirmed; page titled 'Project Review & Compliance' describing the SHPO Compliance Program under Section 106 and the Montana Antiquities Act. (mhs.mt.gov/Shpo/new-pages/compliance returned a client error.) |
| Wildlife and habitat reviewThe state wildlife agency's project screening or natural-heritage data request; federal species go through USFWS IPaC. | Data requestsMontana Natural Heritage Program |
| State road access and utility permitsA driveway onto a state highway, and a gen-tie or cable in state right of way. | Approach and utility permitsMontana Department of Transportation |
| Floodplain (state NFIP coordinator)Local floodplain development permits are county or city; the state coordinator lists who administers them. | Floodplain Management Program (state NFIP coordinator)Montana DNRC Floodplain ManagementConfirmed; describes the DNRC Floodplain Management Program (NFIP not named explicitly on page). |
| Water rights and wellsConstruction water, dust control and O&M wells: the state engineer, water board or environmental agency. | Water rightsMontana DNRC Water Rights Bureau |
| Property-tax incentive programState abatement or exemption programs for renewable generation, where one exists. | Property tax exemptions and reduced rates for renewable facilitiesMontana Department of Revenue |
Federal portals (the same in every state)
| Approval | Where to go |
|---|---|
| Clean Water Act Section 404 / Rivers and Harbors Act Section 10 | U.S. Army Corps of EngineersRegulatory Request System: applications, pre-application meetings and jurisdictional determinations; the district office is by watershed. |
| Endangered species and critical habitat | U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceIPaC: official species list and the Section 7 consultation path for the project footprint. |
| Tall structures (wind turbines, met towers) | Federal Aviation AdministrationForm 7460-1 notice through OE/AAA before construction above the 14 CFR 77.9 heights. |
| Construction stormwater where EPA is the permitting authority | U.S. EPAEPA's Construction General Permit (NeT eNOI) in New Mexico, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, D.C., Indian country and the territories. |
| Projects on federal land | Bureau of Land ManagementRight-of-way applications and NEPA documents for BLM-managed land. |
| Transmission and wholesale market rules | Federal Energy Regulatory CommissionOrder No. 2023 cluster-study reforms, followed by every FERC-jurisdictional transmission provider, RTO or utility; ERCOT has its own process. |
County and city pages for Montana
From the nationwide permit finder; counties and cities issue most land-use approvals, so start with the jurisdiction that covers the parcel.
- Montana — Water permitting programs (State): Montana environmental authority. Start with this agency for the linked water program. Check construction stormwater, wastewater and water-quality approvals separately; this link does not cover every environmental permit.
- Montana — Energy permitting assistance (State): Montana energy / siting authority. Confirm technology, project size, location and the current state-versus-local approval pathway with this authority.
- Montana — local government contacts (City & local): State government / local-government association. Locate the relevant government using this directory; some directories list only cities or only counties. Confirm municipal boundaries and any separate fire, drainage, water or other district authority.
Other states
How this list is made. Each link was found on the agency's own site and is re-checked by a script that loads it and records the date; a link that stops answering is shown without a link rather than dropped. Programs change with each legislative session: confirm fees, forms and thresholds on the agency page before filing. General information, not legal advice. How we check our data · Report an error.