Montana › Utilities › 1,000 to 4,999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
Northwestern Energy MT Pension Plan
Sponsored by Northwestern Corporation, Butte, MT
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances. Form 5500 contains no individual account balances. Look up the original filing at EFAST2.
Northwestern Corporation of Butte, Montana sponsors Northwestern Energy MT Pension Plan, a cash balance pension plan. Its Form 5500 for the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024 shows 1,028 participants (309 active) and $346M in net assets.
Net assets came to $336,267 per participant, well above the $87,935 median for defined benefit plans with 1,000 to 4,999 participants and well above the $187,668 median for defined benefit plans in utilities. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
Employer contributions were $9.1M for the year ($29,453 per active participant) and benefits paid were $20.8M. In a defined benefit plan the employer's contribution follows funding rules rather than a match formula, so it can swing widely from year to year.
The filing reports no service provider compensation on Schedule C. That is common where fees are paid by the employer or taken from investment returns, neither of which appears there. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $816K.
Across the filings on record, net assets went from $355M in 2009 to $346M in 2024 (down 3%), and participants from 3,132 to 1,028 (down 67%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified), from an audit whose scope was limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C) to exclude investment information certified by a bank or insurer.
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DB plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $336,267 | $87,935 | $187,668 | $86,221 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $29,453 | $10,593 | $12,900 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | — | $325 | $468 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | — | 0.41% | 0.27% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $794 | $513 | $804 | $527 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined benefit plans with 100 or more participants: 1,000 to 4,999 participants (1,540 plans), utilities (175) and all US plans (5,308). Fee medians cover plans that report an amount.
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Schedule C compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,028 | $346M | $336,268 | $9.1M | — | $0 |
| 2023 | 1,037 | $349M | $336,867 | $3.2M | — | $0 |
| 2022 | 1,327 | $395M | $297,927 | $7.0M | — | $0 |
| 2021 | 1,342 | $545M | $405,907 | $13.3M | — | $0 |
| 2020 | 2,423 | $621M | $256,268 | $9.9M | — | $0 |
| 2019 | 2,472 | $548M | $221,845 | $11.9M | — | $0 |
| 2018 | 2,516 | $467M | $185,445 | $85K | — | $0 |
| 2017 | 2,558 | $531M | $207,400 | $9.5M | — | $0 |
| 2016 | 2,593 | $471M | $181,808 | $9.0M | — | $0 |
| 2015 | 2,637 | $451M | $171,192 | $9.0M | — | $0 |
| 2014 | 3,004 | $505M | $168,063 | $9.0M | — | $12K |
| 2013 | 2,967 | $469M | $158,154 | $10.5M | — | $14K |
| 2012 | 2,993 | $429M | $143,469 | $9.0M | — | $24K |
| 2011 | 3,020 | $395M | $130,890 | $10.5M | — | $4,000 |
| 2010 | 3,071 | $391M | $127,415 | $10.5M | — | $52K |
| 2009 | 3,132 | $355M | $113,386 | $31.7M | — | $25K |
Years in which the plan filed the full Form 5500 with 100 or more participants, from 2009. Plan year is the year in which the plan year began.
Statement for the year
- Net assets, beginning of year$349,330,696
- Employer contributions$9,100,847
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$9,100,847
- Total income, including investment results$17,944,369
- Benefits paid$20,776,340
- Administrative expenses$816,119
- Total expenses$21,592,459
- Net income−$3,648,090
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$345,682,606
Participants
- Active participants309
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits471
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits224
- Total participants, end of year1,028
Fees and service providers
No service provider organisations are listed on Schedule C for this plan year.
Schedule C, Part I line 2: providers that received $5,000 or more, with the form's own service codes. Individuals named on Schedule C (plan employees, individual trustees) are never shown and their compensation is excluded. Eligible indirect compensation disclosed by formula carries no dollar amount. See how to read Schedule C fees.
Administrative expenses on Schedule H
- Other administrative expenses$816,119
- Total administrative expenses$816,119
Investment structure
Assets at year end by Schedule H category. The form shows the kind of vehicle holding the money, not the funds on the menu.
- Master trust investment accounts$343M · 99.1%
- Receivables$3.2M · 0.9%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmEide Bailly LLP
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $10,000,000
- Blackout period during the year—
These are the plan administrator's own answers on Schedule H, Part IV. A reported late transmittal is the filer's disclosure of a timing lapse, usually corrected through the Department of Labor's voluntary program; the amount is the total involved, not a loss.
Plan characteristics
1ABenefits are primarily pay related1CCash balance or similar plan1ECode section 401(h) arrangement3HPlan sponsor(s) is (are) a member(s) of a controlled group
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 221100: Electric Power Generation, Transmission & Distribution.
Other plans of Northwestern Corporation
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| Northwestern Energy 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan | 2,038 | $513M |
| Northwestern Energy Sd/ne Pension Plan | 358 | $52.6M |
Similar plans in Montana
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern Energy Sd/ne Pension Plan | Northwestern Corporation | 358 | $52.6M | $146,885 |
Defined benefit plans in utilities closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Northwestern Energy MT Pension Plan?
1,028 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 309 were active employees, with net assets of $345,682,606. Among defined benefit plans that places it in the 1,000 to 4,999 participants band, which held 1,540 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Northwestern Corporation contribute per participant?
The filing reports $9,100,847 in employer contributions for the year, which is $29,453 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $10,593 in plan year 2024. Form 5500 reports the total only. It does not state the match formula, and the per-participant figure is an average, not any one person's contribution.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports no provider compensation for the year. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $816,119. Investment costs deducted inside mutual funds and other pooled vehicles are not itemised on Form 5500, so these figures are a floor rather than a full cost.
Who runs the plan?
The sponsor is Northwestern Corporation. The financial statements were audited by Eide Bailly LLP. Form 5500 also names the plan administrator's signer and other individuals; this site publishes organisations only.
Was the audit opinion unqualified?
The filing reports an unmodified (unqualified) opinion from a limited-scope audit, in which the accountant did not audit investment information certified by a bank or insurance company. Unmodified (formerly "unqualified") is the standard clean opinion.
How current is this, and does it show my balance?
This is the Form 5500 for the plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024, received by the Department of Labor on 30 Sep 2025. Filings are due seven months after the plan year ends, or nine and a half with an extension, so the public record always runs a year or more behind. It contains plan-level totals only: no individual balances, contributions or names of participants exist in the data.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files (Form 5500, Schedule H, Schedule C) for plan years 2009 to 2025, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. This page shows the latest filing on record for EIN 46-0172280, plan 101, received 30 Sep 2025; an amended filing replaces it at the next build. Medians and percentiles are computed by this site; see the methodology. Report an error through corrections.