coal mine craneMontana Coal Expansion
missoulian.com (10/06/2016)

“BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — U.S. officials approved a 117 million-ton expansion of a Montana coal mine after concluding that burning the fuel would have a minor impact on the nation’s overall greenhouse gas emissions, according to documents released Thursday.”

 

net metering Activist Group Plans Protest
mtstandard.com (10/05/2016)

“The climate activist group 350 Montana will hold a rally on Monday, Oct. 10,  at NorthWestern Energy headquarters, Park and Main.

They will assemble at 11 a.m. in Emma Park, Silver and Dakota, and march several blocks to NWE’s headquarters to demand the company move directly to renewable energy.”

 

natural gas ratesNW Energy Requests Gas Rate Increase
mtpr.org (10/04/2016)

“NorthWestern Energy has requested an $11 million natural gas rate increase. The rate hike requires the approval of the Montana Public Service Commission.”

 

 

hardiness zonesClimate Change Affects Growing Season
missoulian.com (9/28/2016)
Ari LeVaux

“The USDA plant hardiness zone boundaries are marching steadily northward, as can be seen on a map loop at climate.gov. In the 15 years since my friend Tom McCamant planted his peach orchard in northwest Montana, his land has been reclassified from Zone 5b to 6a.”

hiding-frackingOil Companies Hide ID of Fracking Chemicals
kpax.com (09/23/2016)

Montana board votes for oil companies to keep trade secrets

BILLINGS –The Montana Board of Oil and Gas voted 7-0 on Thursday to not require oil companies to publicly disclose chemicals it used in fracking.  Environmental groups asked the board to consider making the fracking fluid information more available. The information is only made available if there is an accident.

bozeman solarMEIC – Undo Mt. PSC Ruling!
ktvq.com (9/19/2016)

“HELENA –The solar-power industry and a Montana environmental group Monday asked federal regulators to undo a decision they say is illegally undermining small solar-power projects in the state.

The decision, made in June by the Montana Public Service Commission, suspended an established rate that utilities must pay to small, renewable power projects for their electricity.”

coalstrip coal powerRetrofit Colstrip??
(8/31/2016) missoulian.com

“We need to be saying, what can we do to find solutions?” Bullock said to utility and mining executives gathered at his office in Helena for the public release of the Energy Department findings. “Those discussions only become more urgent given recent developments at Colstrip.”

butte solarNCAT 40th Anniversary
(mtstandard.com 8/9/2016)

“… National Center for Appropriate Technology, headquartered in Butte, (is) in line with a trend toward solar in Montana.

To celebrate its 40th anniversary, (Aug 19) NCAT, which encourages sustainability in residences, small businesses and small farms, is going green itself with a large new solar panel system.”

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