Speak Up for a Clean Energy Economy for Montana

The Montana Legislature is trying to craft legislation to punish and prevent power plant owners from moving beyond dirty fuels like coal to cleaner energy sources. Instead the legislature should be developing legislation that encourages development of Montana’s abundant clean energy resources such as wind, solar and energy efficiency.

Please ask the legislature to help the town of Colstrip and the state of Montana diversify our energy portfolio, encourage jobs in the clean energy sector, and create a more sustainable energy future for Colstrip and Montana.

Power from the Colstrip coal-fired power plant goes to West Coast markets that are demanding change. Coastal states are concerned about climate change. They are working to move beyond the coal-fired power they get from Montana. Some in the Montana legislature want to punish them for concerns about climate change and want to try to force them to continue purchasing dirty coal-fired power from Montana.

Montana has the second best wind resource in the U.S. As coastal states start deciding how to move beyond coal, Montana should be positioning itself to provide the clean energy these markets are demanding. The Montana legislature should stop wasting its time trying to force customers to buy a product they no longer want and instead design ways to provide the product these customers do want – clean energy.

Clean energy means jobs in Montana, tax revenue, and a cleaner environment. Tell the Montana legislature it’s time to move toward a new and lucrative energy future and to stop looking into the rear-view mirror. We either provide the clean energy electricity that customers demand or we get left behind.

For the sake of workers, the economy and the environment, it’s time to move toward a 21^st century energy system and not try to hopelessly cling to last century’s technology.