Exhibit 99.1

[NORTHWESTERN CORPORATION LOGO]                                     NEWS RELEASE


Contacts:


Claudia Rapkoch
406.497.2841
claudia.rapkoch@northwestern.com

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            NorthWestern Corporation Announces Finance Group Changes
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Sioux Falls, S.D. - June 9, 2004 - NorthWestern Corporation (OTC Pink Sheets:
NTHWQ) today announced several management changes associated with the Company's
decision to combine the Audit and Controls function with the Finance group.
These changes will be effective July 1, 2004 according to Gary Drook, President
and Chief Executive Officer and Brian Bird, Chief Financial Officer.

  o   George Boyles has been named Internal Audit and Controls Officer. In this
      new position, Boyles will direct the Company's internal audit function and
      have direct responsibility for operation of the Company's control
      processes including monitoring of Sarbanes-Oxley and Enterprise Risk
      Management processes. He also will maintain oversight for the Company's
      accounts payable function. Boyles, a Certified Management Accountant, will
      report to Bird and have direct involvement with the Audit Committee of
      NorthWestern's Board of Directors. Previously, Boyles was Director of
      Accounting Operations. Before joining NorthWestern last year, the West
      Virginia native spent 26 years at Allegheny Energy. He holds a bachelor's
      and master's degree in Business Administration from West Virginia
      University in Morgantown. He and his wife, Kay, have a grown daughter and
      reside in Sioux Falls.

  o   Kendall Kliewer has been named Controller and will have responsibility for
      NorthWestern's internal and external accounting operations, including
      compliance with regulatory accounting policies and reporting. He will
      continue to report to Bird. Previously, Kliewer was Chief Accountant, a
      position he has held





      since joining NorthWestern in November 2002. Prior to joining
      NorthWestern, he was a Senior Manager with KPMG LLP in Lincoln, Nebraska
      where he gained extensive experience auditing and consulting clients with
      public reporting requirements. Kliewer graduated from the University of
      Nebraska, Lincoln with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. He and
      his wife, Cheryl, have two young daughters and reside in Sioux Falls.

  o   Paul Evans has joined NorthWestern as Treasurer, reporting to Bird. Evans
      is filling a vacant position and will head all of the Company's treasury
      functions including capital procurement, cash management, credit and will
      handle the Company's banking relationships. Evans, a Certified Public
      Accountant, previously was a consultant to NorthWestern. Evans has a
      significant financial background in the energy industry including working
      most recently for Duke Energy North America. Evans spent three years in
      the U.S. Army before graduating from Stephen F. Austin College in
      Nacogdoches, Texas with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business
      Administration/Accounting. He holds a Master of International Management
      from Thunderbird, The Garvin School of International Management in
      Glendale, Arizona. He and his wife, Jennifer, reside in Sioux Falls with
      their young son.

   In addition, Drook announced that Maurice Worsfold has been named Vice
President of Information Development until he leaves the Company at year-end
2004. Worsfold will continue development of a centralized information repository
for NorthWestern to provide information and technical support to permit
monitoring of internal controls and financial reporting. In addition, he will
assist in the transition of the Company's audit and controls and strategic
planning activities. He continues to report to Drook.

   "Maurice has played an important role in substantially improving
NorthWestern's internal control structure which has prepared the Company to meet
Sarbanes-Oxley requirements," said Drook. "I am asking Maurice to complete the
development of the information repository and its implementation with the
Company's Business Warehouse. Once completed, this group will report to the
Information Technology function."





   About NorthWestern
   NorthWestern Corporation is one of the largest providers of electricity and
natural gas in the Upper Midwest and Northwest, serving approximately 608,000
customers in Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. For more information about
NorthWestern visit www.northwestern.com


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