Energy is a hot topic. Everyone needs it, yet production and consumption have a significant environmental impact.
Montana has the
greatest potential for renewable energy production in the U.S., but it is also home to highly pollutive production facilities.
What Montana does matters to the rest of the world. Our coal is shipped globally, and
greenhouse gases (GHGs) released from burning fossil fuels negatively affect the planet.
Renewable energy will be necessary for the continued challenge of climate change. Our world economy and cultures depend on energy, and producing it without relying so heavily on fossil fuels is necessary due to the damaging GHGs already in the atmosphere.
The good news is that renewable production is not as affiliated with political standing as most people tend to think. Like Texas, many Republican states are huge renewable producers. And while some voters cite climate change as their impetus for supporting renewable energy development, others talk about reducing cost and
increasing energy independence.
More good news is that the cost of solar power has
fallen by 90%, and wind by 70%, both in the last decade. According to the
International Renewable Energy Agency, it’s less expensive to implement renewables than fossil fuel generating plants.
Overall, the U.S. is trending toward renewables, as are countries around the world. Over
440 gigawatts was added in 2023 alone — enough power to electrify Spain and Germany.
There are challenges, however. Our energy
consumption is increasing globally, rather than decreasing. This is in large part due to crypto mining, data centers, and artificial intelligence.
Most energy discussions focus on the "grid," or the national infrastructure supporting energy transmission. That’s because improving the sustainability of the grid requires a massive shift from the existing model to a more interconnected one that leverages renewable energy from solar panels, wind farms, and even from homes and businesses. The complexity of adjusting the grid to support more renewables can lead to a
backlog of renewable projects.
"While tripling renewables is achievable, to electrify the U.S. economy would mean an increase in electricity production two to three times over current levels by 2050. That’s going to need a much higher capacity grid and improving moving it from where it’s produced to where it’s used," says
Rewiring America, an electrification nonprofit.
Montana has good options for energy transmission on the horizon.
Amanda Eggert writes about a "new Montana-North Dakota high-voltage transmission line [that] could be a game changer for an area of the American West that’s seen limited expansion to its power grid in four decades."
The estimated 400-mile Montana-North Dakota high-voltage transmission line would support a more resilient grid, one that could stand up to heat and cold snaps while allowing Montana to access different energy markets to meet current demands. Transmission will be of critical importance for Montana’s further economic development, not to mention its capacity to address climate change.
Nationally, Northwestern Energy comes under scrutiny due to its continued use of coal, as well as its plant in Colstrip which, following the
April 2024 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) ruling from the Environmental Protection Agency, is no longer in compliance with pollution standards. Colstrip Unit 4 releases more harmful pollutants (filterable particulate emissions) than any other coal-fired unit in the country, according to the Montana Environmental Information Center (MEIC).
Northwestern Energy is regulated by the elected Montana Public Service Commission (PSC). Their role is to ensure the energy industry works in the public’s best interest, and is therefore reliable and affordable. The
Western Environmental Law Center of Helena says that the PSC, in terms of climate change mitigation, is the most consequential of all decision-making organizations.
People across the spectrum are urging the PSC to pay attention to Montana’s climate, including Dave Hemion and the Helena Interfaith Climate Advocates. Indeed, this same request is part of the
Held v Montana case recently routed to the state Supreme Court.
To protect children and future generations, thinking about energy with a long-term perspective makes sense. We have to start somewhere and renewables offer a viable alternative.
Twenty Questions is a series by Heidi Harting-Rex, a Choteau resident and avid climate change reader.
All images copyright John Moore.