-- (Corrects units on gas output figures in paragraph five.)
US utility NorthWestern Energy (NWE) Wednesday reported a decline in retail electricity and gas sales volumes despite growth in its customer base.
For the quarter ended March 31, the company sold 2.733 terawatt-hours of electricity, a drop from the previous year's 2.943 TWh, due to lower demand from residential and commercial sectors.
Customer count, on the other hand, increased to 507,779 from the prior year's 501,786.
Revenue from the electricity segment nonetheless rose year over year to $362.1 million in Q1, versus $335.5 million in the same quarter of 2025, due to higher rates and improved transmission revenue, according to the report.
The company also reported a decline in retail natural gas sales to 15.93 million dekatherms from the previous year's 16.04 million Dth, as residential demand weakened.
Sales dropped despite an increase in customer count to 343,568 from 307,890.
Nonetheless, the natural gas segment generated $135.5 million in revenue for the period, up relative to $131.1 million posted a year earlier.
Going forward, the company said it will deliver electricity for data centers, having signed development agreements with Sabey Data Centers, Atlas Power Holdings, and Quantica Infrastructure. It expects to provide up to 1.5 gigawatts of electricity by 2030, beginning with an initial 150 megawatts in late 2027.
NorthWestern Energy said it anticipates its merger with Black Hills (BKH) will be completed in H2, with the resulting parent company to be named Bright Horizon Energy.