Montana Environmental Information Center

UPDATE: SB 7 passed the legislature, but was vetoed by Governor Bullock. Montanans deserve the freedom to make their own energy choices. We witnessed that with the outpouring of public support for the Solar Jobs and Energy Freedom Act. Across Montana, people from all walks of life agree that solar is the Montana way. Montanans are […]

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MEIC's Position: Oppose | Current bill status: Vetoed by Governor Bullock. Passed Senate, 31-18. Passed House, 56-42. | Official legislative site

Issue area: Clean Energy Bills, Clean Energy Bills - Bad

HB 193 would ensure NorthWestern Energy and Montana Dakota Utilities are treated the same before the Public Service Commission when determining revenue recovery for outages at power plants. Specifically, this bill removes NorthWestern Energy’s exclusive ability to pass on the cost of power plant outages to customers even when the costs were imprudently incurred by the company. […]

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MEIC's Position: Support | Current bill status: Passed Senate 29-21. Passed House, 68-32. Signed by the Governor. | Official legislative site

Issue area: Clean Energy Bills, Clean Energy Bills - Good

SB 337 would eliminate the Montana Board of Environmental Review. The BER has oversight authority over the Department of Environmental Quality for rule-making, as well as deciding challenges to permit decisions and enforcement actions. The BER acts as an independent body that determines whether DEQ follows the law and whether rules need to be changed to […]

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MEIC's Position: Oppose | Current bill status: Vetoed by the Governor. | Official legislative site

Issue area: Citizen Access and Good Government Bills, Clean Energy Bills, Clean Energy Bills - Bad, Clean Water Bills

SB 339 is a consensus bill developed by the Senate Natural Resources committee that would require the Colstrip owners to file a remediation plan with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. That plan must outline all remediation obligations under existing law and provide information on how the owners intend to comply with those obligations. The […]

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MEIC's Position: Support | Current bill status: Passed Senate and House. Signed by the Governor. | Official legislative site

Issue area: Dirty Energy Bills

SB 338 (Sen. Duane Ankney, R-Colstrip)is disguised as a pro-worker bill and pro-Colstrip community bill, but it is anything but those things. SB 338 creates a false choice: workers versus the environment. Montana can and should protect the environment and help workers, but that won’t happen if SB 338 is passed. No efforts have been […]

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MEIC's Position: Oppose | Current bill status: Blast motion failed, 40-59, on House floor on April 18th. (Tabled in House Energy, Technology, & Federal Relations on April 10th. Passed Senate, 43-6.) | Official legislative site

Issue area: Dirty Energy Bills, Tabled Bills

HB 216 would be the first time bonding and decommissioning plans are required for wind development in Montana. Projects would be required to develop a plan for decommissioning and reclamation as well as post a bond to pay for eventual implementation of the plan. The Department of Environmental Quality would set the bonding amount and administer the program. While renewable […]

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MEIC's Position: Support | Current bill status: Signed by the Governor. (Passed House 97-2. Passed Senate 50-0.) | Official legislative site

Issue area: Clean Energy Bills, Clean Energy Bills - Good

UPDATE (4-10-17): SB 32 passed the legislature. Governor Bullock vetoed the bill. SB 32 would prevent jobs and new clean energy in Montana by repealing the Community Renewable Energy Projects (CREPs) provision of the Renewable Energy Standard. These projects are 25 megawatts or less in size and have majority local ownership. MDU met its requirement […]

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MEIC's Position: Oppose | Current bill status: Vetoed by Governor Bullock. (Passed House, 59-39. Passed Senate, 31-19.) | Official legislative site

Issue area: Clean Energy Bills, Clean Energy Bills - Bad

SB 235 would allow the Montana Land Board to extend the date for coal leases beyond their traditional 10-year term if the Board finds that it would be in the “best interest of the state.” The bill could result in a lease renewal for the Otter Creek coal tracts if Arch Coal fails to develop […]

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MEIC's Position: Oppose | Current bill status: Vetoed by the Governor. | Official legislative site

Issue area: Coal Mining Bills, Dirty Energy Bills, Global Warming Bills

SB 102 would place a 20-year maximum on contracts for wind and solar projects trying to utilize a federal law that encourages alternative energy production. Clean energy project developers, as well as the Montana Bankers Association, testified to the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee they would need 20-year minimum contracts in order to finance projects. Contracts […]

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MEIC's Position: Oppose | Current bill status: Bill Tabled in House Energy, Technology, & Federal Relations. (Passed Senate, 25-24.) | Official legislative site

Issue area: Tabled Bills

This bill would require the Montana Department of Environmental Quality to assume the responsibilities of the 404 permitting program, which is currently administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This program protects our rivers, streams, and wetlands by requiring that any person who proposes to impact a Water of the United States must apply […]

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MEIC's Position: Oppose | Current bill status: Bill Tabled in House Natural Resources on April 3rd. (Passed Senate, 39-11.) | Official legislative site

Issue area: Tabled Bills