Standard & Poor's Ratings Services Upgrades NorthWestern's Credit Ratings

SIOUX FALLS, S.D., March 17  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- NorthWestern Corporation d/b/a NorthWestern Energy (NASDAQ:NWEC) today announced that Standard & Poor's Ratings Services ("S&P") upgraded NorthWestern's long-term corporate credit rating, senior secured ratings and senior unsecured rating as follows:

                                                 From           To

  Senior Secured Rating -- Montana               BBB            A-
  Senior Secured Rating -- South Dakota          BBB            BBB+
  Senior Unsecured Rating                        BB-            BBB-
  Corporate Rating                               BB+            BBB
  Outlook                                        Positive       Stable




S&P cited a steady improvement in the financial profile of the Company as well as a paring of nonregulated operations.  S&P also noted that the Company has shown a commitment to focus on regulated utility operations, including managing regulatory risk and resolving pending litigation.

An immediate result of this upgrade will be a decrease by 25 basis points on the interest rate, a 2.5 basis point decrease on the commitment fees, and certain covenants will fall away on NorthWestern's unsecured revolver.

About NorthWestern Energy

NorthWestern Energy is one of the largest providers of electricity and natural gas in the Upper Midwest and Northwest, serving approximately 650,000 customers in Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska.  More information on NorthWestern Energy is available on the Company's Web site at http://www.northwesternenergy.com/. 

DATASOURCE: NorthWestern Corporation



CONTACT:  Media, Bobbi Schroeppel, 1-866-622-8081,

, or Investor Relations, Dan Rausch,

[phone], , both of NorthWestern

Corporation



Web site:  http://www.northwesternenergy.com/ 

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