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Moody's Upgrades NorthWestern Corporation's Senior Secured Credit Ratings

SIOUX FALLS, S.D., Aug. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- NorthWestern Corporation d/b/a NorthWestern Energy (NYSE: NWE) today announced that Moody's Investors Service has upgraded NorthWestern's senior secured debt ratings from Baa1 to A3.

Moody's cited as a reason for its upgrade an analysis that indicates regulated utilities have defaulted at a lower rate and experienced lower loss given default rates than non-financial, non-utility corporate issuers. Accordingly, Moody's has upgraded the majority of senior secured debt ratings of investment-grade regulated utilities by one notch.

NorthWestern is rated investment grade on all senior secured and unsecured debt with Moody's, Standard and Poor's Ratings Services, and Fitch Ratings.

About NorthWestern Energy

NorthWestern Energy is one of the largest providers of electricity and natural gas in the Upper Midwest and Northwest, serving approximately 656,000 customers in Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. For more information about NorthWestern Energy, visit our Web site at www.northwesternenergy.com.

SOURCE NorthWestern Corporation