DowntoEarth
In This Issue
Board PrEsIdEnt: Jessie Wiles
Board MEMBErs: Gary Aitken
Jessie Big Knife
Grace Gibson-Snyder
Rob Farris-Olsen
Diana Hammer
Steve Martinez
Eva Molina
Jim Sayer
Roger Sullivan
Beth Taylor-Wilson
Neal Ullman
MEIC staff: Ben Catton
Laura Collins
Nick Fitzmaurice
Anne Hedges
Shannon James
Derf Johnson
Cari Kimball
Peyton Olson
Katy Spence
Julie Wintersteen
MaI lIng: P.O. Box 1184 Helena, MT 59624
324 Fuller Ave. Helena, MT 225 W. Front St. Missoula,
From a Board Member
by Gary Aitken
The day after the election, I attended my local planning board meeting where a proposal for a Conditional Use Permit (zoning rules exception) for construction of short-term rental cabins was discussed. The big takeaway for me was the importance of facts in this meeting; having specific facts made it easier to advocate one way or the other, and prompted discussions which brought out further detail and questions.
At the meeting, I was struck by the civility of the board members despite clear differences of opinion, as well as the interest in following proper process, including public comment where required by law. Prior to public comments, a staff representative summarized comments received. In addition to enumerating opinions (e.g. 13 said road dust would be increased, two said it was insignificant), a more meaningful summary was made (e.g. 15 said water was an issue with reports of three wells having problems in years past).
The summary was beneficial for several reasons:
1. Some individuals didn’t feel the need to say something already noted.
2. Planning board members don’t always read all the comments and sometimes don't get them in a timely manner. Some just skim them and may miss important details. The summary makes everyone, including board members, aware of generally where the public stands.
3. It allows members of the public who appear in person to tailor their comments to emphasize points not well summarized.
I may be fortunate to live in a county which has divided its zoning regulations based on expressed desires of citizens in different regions. I was impressed that all members acted professionally and appeared to be putting the will of the affected part of the county ahead of their personal ideology. Here are some important takeaways from this meeting that can help affect policy on the ground:
1. Written comments are important and should be made well in advance if possible, but showing up to emphasize “missing information” is also important and can sway the discussion.
2. If an adequate summary is given, don't waste time; leave time for others with substance.
3. Facts matter. One member said assertions were useless and have, in the past, turned out to be untrue, with prior promises made at planning board meetings ignored.
4. While summary counts are important, specific facts bring out further discussion and help to advocate more effectively.
5. While you may not want your identity known, an anonymous comment is virtually worthless; it is likely to be disregarded.
Facts are something MEIC excels at. Facts are the reason government agencies and legislators listen to us. Facts are one of the most important things your membership, donations, and legacy gifts help to finance. And facts are a good thing to keep in mind when commenting — don't just say “I'm in favor” or “I'm against.” Explain why and add specific, brief examples if possible. Be well, and participate; we have difficult times ahead, but together we will not be overrun.
Gary Aitken believes MEIC’s mission is critical to making life on this planet and in this state worthwhile. He brings analysis, organizational skills, and attention to detail to help keep the organization successful. Gary believes that if MEIC succeeds, we all benefit.
Staff and board at our recent retreat in Anaconda. Gary is featured in the center.
Legislature Is a Bright Spot Following Election Season
by Anne Hedges, Derf Johnson, Nick Fitzmaurice, and Laura Collins
"We the people of Montana grateful to God for the quiet beauty of our state, the grandeur of our mountains, the vastness of our rolling plains, and desiring to improve the quality of life, equality of opportunity and to secure the blessings of liberty for this and future generations do ordain and establish this constitution.”
The Preamble to Montana’s Constitution speaks to Montanans’ love of this place. Regardless of a person’s political stripes, most Montanans live here for very similar reasons. We all love this place we call home. We enjoy sharing the outdoors with our friends and family, and we want to pass on the beauty and love to our children. This is what we must keep in mind as we head into another legislative session where Republicans control the House, the Senate, all statewide elected offices, and our entire Congressional delegation.
While the news at the federal level was challenging for environmental protections, the news in Montana was somewhat brighter. In the Montana House of Representatives, Democrats picked up 11 seats in the House and two seats in the Senate. In the House, the partisan divide will be narrower than the previous session, with 59 Republicans to 42 Democrats. In the
Senate, the political split will be 32 Republicans to 18 Democrats.
While that may not sound significant, it is. Republicans had a supermajority in the 2023 Legislative Session. With a supermajority, Republicans had no need to bother with Democrats, because they nearly always had enough votes to change the law, even over objections of some in their own party. This allowed them to attempt to put constitutional amendments on the ballot regardless of the other party, but MEIC and our allies rallied to ensure that none were even proposed.
This session will be different and, hopefully, better. There are moderates in the Republican party when it comes to environmental protections, though it won’t be clear how many there are until they start voting on bills. There are legislators returning who believe in a functioning government, the opportunities in clean energy development, and making sure people have healthcare. This means that the session will be about coalition-building. Legislators who care about clean air, clean water, and our climate will need to unite, and MEIC intends to connect with legislators across the political spectrum who believe in the beauty and grandeur of this place.
MEIC lobbyists are also preparing for serious attacks
MEIC 's lobbying team is ready for the start of the 2025 session on Jan. 6, 2025.
on our natural resources. First up will be changes to the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA). The youth climate case, Held v. State of Montana and MEIC’s challenge to the state’s air permit for NorthWestern Energy’s methane gas plant will likely drive proposals to weaken — and potentially eliminate — MEPA. We will need your help to defend this bedrock law and ensure that all Montanans have a right to a healthy climate.
We will likely see bills that try to change water quality protections at coal mines and hardrock mines. Now that President-Elect Donald Trump will be in charge of federal environmental laws, it is very likely that attempts to weaken state law will be looked on more favorably by federal agencies who are required to ensure that state laws meet federal minimum requirements. If federal agencies allow Montana to weaken environmental protections to below the threshold required by federal law, it is likely we will turn to the courts to defend federal minimum requirements to protect Montana’s water quality, air quality, waste disposal, and mining.
We also expect to see another round of trickle-down housing strategies to weaken standards so developers can build more homes for the wealthy under the guise of affordable housing. The Legislature will be asked to weaken zoning, subdivision, land use planning, and water rights laws to allow developers to place houses in areas that cause unnecessary harm to neighbors, water resources and wildlife, among other things. Earlier this year, there was a very positive court decision that found that local governments and the state must ensure that subdivisions have sufficient water resources that don’t harm nearby ground and surface waters, neighboring landowners, agricultural operations, as well as fish and wildlife. We will be on the lookout for bills that try to overturn this decision in favor of developers and government officials who ignore water resource needs of existing agricultural operations as well as fish and wildlife, an especially important consideration in a changing climate.
There will also be bills that remove our basic rights: the right to go to court, the right to know, the right to participate, and the right to an independent judicial branch. These bills may very well be the most difficult, yet important, issues MEIC will work on this session.
Meet MEIC's Lobby Team
Ben Catton will assist the team during the session, and Shannon James will organize.
We will be leaning heavily on you, as constituents of legislators who will vote on these bills. Finally, we anticipate many other attacks on human rights and constitutional rights such as due process and equal protection. We’ll be sure to invite our allies to update you at our regular legislative webinars.
We will be in touch with you in the next month to help give you the tools you need to help protect your rights and our environment. Together, we can get through whatever comes our way.
Anne Hedges and Derf Johnson lead MEIC 's lobbying team.
Nick Fitzmaurice and Laura Collins will work on energy and land use issues, respectively.
ESupreme Court Rejects NorthWestern’s Bid to Avoid Cleaning Up Colstrip Plant Air Pollution
by Derf Johnson
arlier this year, the Biden Administration announced a new standard for coal plants under the Mercury and Air Toxics Standard (MATS) that will dramatically reduce the pollution emanating from the Colstrip coal-fired power plant, as well as other plants across the country. With the implementation of the rule, the owners of the Colstrip plant will have to install modern-industry standard pollution controls on the plant that will cost them money. However, instead of recognizing the enormous environmental and public health benefits, the owners of the Colstrip plant joined a coalition of industry groups across the country and challenged the new regulation on a number of grounds in federal court. They also requested that the U.S. Supreme Court place a “pause” on the rule so that they don’t have to comply with it until the litigation is fully resolved. MEIC intervened in the litigation thanks to the attorneys at Earthjustice. We argued that NorthWestern created its own dilemma by failing to install pollution controls decades ago when most other plants did so.
In a shocking ruling — given the makeup of the court — the U.S. Supreme Court rejected NorthWestern’s hail-mary request, which means that, for the time being, the Colstrip plant needs to start gearing up to reduce its air pollution under the new safeguards. Notably, the Colstrip plant is currently the most polluting plant in the nation, and the owners have dragged their feet when it comes to installing and operating pollution control technology, technology
that nearly every other coal-fired power plant has installed. Colstrip Unit 4 releases the highest rate of particulate emissions into the air compared to other coal-fired units in the country. What’s more, Colstrip Unit 3 also releases a significant amount of particulate emissions, ranking third highest in the nation. These particulate emissions contain arsenic, lead, and many other hazardous substances, most of which are dangerous to humans at any level of exposure.
Everyone knows that coal is a dirty way to produce energy. It fouls the air we breathe with heavy metals and other toxins, pollutes our water with coal mining and the coal ash waste streams, and is the most polluting source of energy for our climate. Emissions into our air include mercury and other toxins, such as lead, selenium, arsenic, chromium, hydrogen chloride, cobalt, nickel, hydrogen cyanide, beryllium, and cadmium. A recent study in the journal Science found that exposure to particulate matter from coalfired power plants was associated with a mortality risk that is 2.1 times greater than exposure to particulate from other sources. Thankfully, the U.S. Clean Air Act regulates emissions from super polluters such as coal plants, and also requires that air quality standards be regularly revised in order to continue reducing pollution from these facilities.
Data demonstrates that implementation of the MATS rule will decrease toxic particulate pollution from the plant by 890 tons each year, a huge public health benefit and will be far more impactful than NorthWestern’s CEO would have you believe.
The Supreme Court’s rejection of NorthWestern’s attempt to evade air quality safeguards is truly a victory for our right to breathe clean air. However, the litigation is certainly not over, and we suspect a more intense fight over these standards with the incoming Trump Administration. For today, we can celebrate, and plan for a bigger fight ahead.
Check out MEIC 's animated video about MATS on our YouTube channel.
MEIC and Partners Pursue Access to “Junque” Files at Legislature
by Derf Johnson
For decades, Montanans have had access to draft bills and associated documents at the Montana Legislature. This information, commonly referred to at the Capitol as the “junque” file, is a collection of information that includes key documents such as bill drafts, communications between legislators and lobbyists, and other analyses that shed further light on legislation. The public did not always have access to these files, but due to a lawsuit brought by MEIC against the Legislature in 1995, Legislative Services was required to make the files available for public scrutiny under Montana’s Constitutional Right to Know. Since that time, members of the public have had full access to this information, which has proven critical in understanding the intentions, motives, and consequences of proposed legislation.
This past September, the Legislative Services Division, which provides bill drafting and other support to the Legislature, announced a new policy. Now, when legislative staff receive information requests for junque files, they must obtain a legislator’s approval before releasing documents to the public. Under Legislative Services’ new policy, the public is being denied access to documents that legislators may selectively choose to withhold. The move was a shocking turn of events, and a new and broadly-sweeping policy in response to a discovery dispute in another matter. The new policy reverses over 25 years of public access to junque files and raises very clear constitutional issues about Montana and our fundamental right to access government documents.
MEIC can’t sit idly by and watch this happen. Part and parcel of our work to protect Montana’s environment is assuring that the Right to Know and Right to Participate are fully enforced. Access to governmental decision-making and documents is critical to inform our members and our advocacy, and our work would be seriously stymied without it. In late October, MEIC, David Saslav of Great Falls, and Kaylee Hafer of Butte filed suit against Legislative Services for its denial of several junque file requests under its new policy.
In the past, junque files have helped shed light on which lobbyists may be involved in the creation of legislation, whether national groups (such as the American Legislative Exchange Council) have had influence over the drafting process, and the motives behind why bills are being proposed. Without this information, the public would be left in the dark on the legislative drafting process, which would be an unfortunate return to the “copper collar” politics of the last century. MEIC and our partners fully intend to let the light shine in.
MEIC is represented by Kim Wilson and Robert Farris-Olsen of the law firm Morrison, Sherwood, Wilson, & Deola. Attorneys Rylee Sommers-Flanagan and Mikaela Koski of the public interest law firm Upper 7 Law are also representing the parties. Hopefully, some resolution on this matter will occur before early January, when the Legislature begins its 2025 Session, and access to junque files will be critical for the public to meaningfully engage in the process.
Why are NorthWestern Energy’s rates so high?
by Nick Fitzmaurice
NorthWestern Energy’s rate case at the Montana Public Service Commission won’t be decided until after the April 2025 hearing, but MEIC is already working on it full tilt. Central to NorthWestern’s requested 26% increase to base electricity rates are its requests to 1) recover costs for the Yellowstone County Generating Station (YCGS) methane gas plant and 2) recover a blank check for future, life-extending investments at the Colstrip power plant (more details in the October 2024 issue of Down to Earth).
In October, MEIC and a number of partners and supporters voiced concerns about this rate case to the Montana Consumer Counsel (MCC). Montana’s Constitution establishes the MCC to advocate for the captive customers of Montana’s regulated monopoly utilities. Unfortunately, MCC signed onto the settlement agreement in NorthWestern’s last rate case, passing a 28% electric rate increase to residential customers. The Counsel’s legislative oversight committee will meet again in December, and MEIC will again advocate for the MCC to protect Montana consumers from NorthWestern’s excessive request.
While NorthWestern continues driving up rates, the utility neglects to invest further in the most affordable energy sources available: wind and solar.
NorthWestern’s most recent clean energy investments — the small 40-megawatt (MW) Spion Kop and even smaller 11-MW Two Dot wind facilities — were built in 2012 and 2014, respectively (Two Dot sold power to NorthWestern until NorthWestern purchased it in 2018). The utility’s 20-year contract for power from the much larger (135 MW) and highly costeffective Judith Gap wind farm expires in 2026, and NorthWestern has indicated it will not include this power in its portfolio past that date. All other wind projects in NorthWestern’s portfolio — in addition to all its solar resources — result from federally required contracts. Despite NorthWestern’s claims, it has fought to keep these undeniably affordable renewables out of its portfolio. Montana’s hydroelectric dams have provided carbon-free electricity for more than 100 years, but NorthWestern did not build these and should not be allowed to use them as an excuse to avoid future investments in affordable carbon-free energy.
Even more insidious is NorthWestern’s apparent strategy to replace existing, affordable renewables contracts with expensive fossil fuel plants that drive up corporate profits at the expense of customers. In its 20-year plan, NorthWestern projects that the expiration of its renewable energy contracts will result in future demand for more electricity generation. This need for more power helps NorthWestern justify
Grid Battery Storage Can Increase Reliability and Affordability
Montana boasts the nation’s second-highest wind energy potential and fourth-highest solar energy potential. Developing these resources will be essential to decarbonizing our energy system. These energy sources are naturally variable, abundant on windy or sunny days, and less available in low-wind periods or when the sun isn’t out. This doesn’t mean these resources can’t support a reliable electric grid, but instead means we need to change how we manage the grid and approach reliability. Along with regional power sharing to take advantage of complimentary weather patterns (see article on pg. 12), energy storage systems are essential for capturing renewable energy when it is available in abundance so it can later be discharged when it is most needed.
The landscape for grid battery storage is changing rapidly as this energy resource has quickly become a tremendous asset within many utilities’ portfolios. As recently as 2019, the U.S. grid had less than one gigawatt (GW) of installed battery storage. At the end of 2023, over 17 GW of battery capacity was deployed in the U.S. Projections show that this number could exceed 30 GW by the end of 2024, with Texas leading the nation in deployment this year. As of August 2024, Texas had a total of eight GW of installed battery storage, while projecting over 18 GW of installed battery storage by the end of 2025. Fully charged, 30 GW is enough battery storage to supply NorthWestern Energy’s 1.3 GW peak electric load for its 405,500 electric customers 23 times over! Unfortunately, while developers elsewhere in the U.S. install enough battery storage each month to meet NorthWestern’s peak load, NorthWestern still has no battery storage in its generation portfolio. MEIC is working to educate policy-makers, regulators, and the utility in order to change that.
expensive fossil fuel investments, such as YCGS and increased ownership in the Colstrip plant. However, when its renewables contracts eventually expire, NorthWestern turns around and uses its additional fossil fuel generation as justification for not needing to negotiate an extension of those affordable renewable energy contracts. If NorthWestern were to proactively negotiate its contracts with renewable energy projects and plan for that energy in its portfolio, there would not be a need for additional fossil fuel investments in the first place.
NorthWestern claims that 60% of its electricity is carbon-free, but the additions of YCGS and additional ownership at the Colstrip plant could reduce that carbon-free ratio to as low as 22%. As NorthWestern’s various renewable energy contracts expire, this will only decrease further. Instead of investing in an affordable, clean energy future, NorthWestern's investments into the YCGS methane plant and the Colstrip plant seek to maximize profits at the expense of bill-paying customers and the planet. MEIC will not stand for this foul play.
Carbon-free wind, solar, and hydroelectric energy are the most affordable energy sources in NorthWestern’s portfolio, but the utility shows no interest in increasing these resources in its portfolio. This chart outlines cost per unit of energy (MWh) for NorthWestern's different generation sources (with a nuclear comparison). The utility shared its data with the Montana Public Service Commission (PSC) in 2023 and 2024. The nuclear power cost estimate is pulled from financial analyst firm Lazard’s annual Levelized Cost of Energy report.
*Required Qualifying Facility contracts under the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA). These plants are developed and run by independent energy developers, contracting power to NorthWestern Energy. NorthWestern recently reported 11 wind plants, 14 hydroelectric plants, and nine solar plants within this category as well as two small fossil fuel plants. The two fossil fuel plants dramatically increase the average cost per MWh from contracted facilities.
**Not included in Colstrip’s cost per MWh of power are compliance costs for long-overdue pollution upgrades, increasing fuel costs under a new contract with the mine, and remediation costs. NorthWestern has unjustifiably kept these costs separate, possibly to artificially reduce the plant’s costs in the short term. ***Yellowstone County Generating Station costs are based on NorthWestern Energy data in the rate case. ****There is no nuclear power in Montana. The only nuclear plant built in the U.S. in nearly 30 years is Georgia’s Vogtle plant. Vogtle cost nearly $37 billion after an initial $14 billion estimate and was nearly a decade overdue, making it the most expensive power plant ever built.
Montana DEQ Does Bidding of Signal Peak Coal Mine
by Anne Hedges
Once again, MEIC was forced to challenge a Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) decision that gives a free pass to a corrupt mining company. In August, DEQ approved another expansion of Signal Peak Energy’s underground coal mine in the Bull Mountains. Time and time again, DEQ approves coal mine expansions for this mine while ignoring the harm this mine is already causing to water resources for agriculture and wildlife, as well as the harm this mine poses to the climate when its coal is burned overseas.
Amendment 6 (AM6) was approved by DEQ in August. MEIC and our partners, represented by Earthjustice, challenged DEQ’s approval in late September. The newest mine permit allows the mine to extract 12 million tons of coal to allow it to continue operations while the federal Office of Surface Mining completes a long-overdue, courtordered environmental impact statement on the mine’s current and potential harm to water resources, wildlife, agriculture, and the climate.
Instead of waiting for the federal Office of Surface Mining (OSM) to complete the more rigorous environmental analysis of the mine’s overall impact to water resources, wildlife, agricultural operations, and the climate, DEQ blazed ahead with approving another permit for the mine with little consideration for any of these issues. DEQ’s approval ignores all of the mines' past environmental and economic harms, including that the company is on federal criminal
probation for its corrupt actions at the mine. DEQ completely overlooked the existing and potential cumulative impacts to wildlife, water resources, and the climate. Instead of doing its job and holding Signal Peak accountable to the law, DEQ did the company's bidding and approved another mine expansion with cursory analysis of the impacts or harm to people and wildlife in the area.
Daines Signal Peak Bill Gets Hearing in Congress
On November 19, MEIC’s Derf Johnson testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources’ Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources. At issue was Rep. Ryan Zinke’s bill to allow the evasion of a federal court order that required OSM to conduct a long-overdue analysis of the potential impacts of a massive expansion of Signal Peak’s Bull Mountains mine.
After years of litigation by MEIC, and our partners* against the federal government for doing a inadequate analysis of the mine’s profound environmental impacts, a federal court put a halt to the expansion until a meaningful analysis was completed. The federal court found that OSM had failed to consider the climate impacts of a mine expansion that is projected to add 375 million tons of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. The court said, “...for each year of its operation, the coal from this project is expected to generate more GHG emissions than the single largest source of GHG emissions in the United States.” Despite this fact,
Bull Mountains photo via Earthjustice.
OSM approved the expansion without considering the climate impacts, let alone the impacts that will continue to accrue to existing agriculture and wildlife from destruction of surface water resources.
Sen. Steve Daines then introduced three bills to allow the mine to bypass the court-ordered analysis. Rep. Ryan Zinke introduced a companion bill in the House that would allow the same evasion of the law. The misleadingly named “Crow Revenue Act” would provide no revenue to the Crow Tribe and would allow Signal Peak’s coal mine to continue mining without federal oversight or consideration of the harm to wildlife, agriculture, water resources, or the climate. Instead the House and Senate bills would give a private family all existing coal at the mine that is currently owned by the public, as well as nearly 1,000 acres of surface rights above the mine that currently allow critical access to public lands in the Bull Mountains. In exchange, the Crow Tribe would acquire some of the mineral interests held by the same family within the boundaries of its reservation — but the Crow would gain no surface rights. The coal on the Crow Reservation is extremely unlikely to ever be developed, as it is not near any existing mines or infrastructure. Sen. Daines’ and Rep. Zinke’s bills would require the Crow to share any revenue from the unlikely development of the newly acquired Crow coal with the private family. However, it would not require the private family to share coal revenues from its newly acquired Signal Peak minerals with the Crow.
Derf Johnson testified against the House bill based upon MEIC’s and our partners’ concern for allowing this corrupt company to evade the law, destroy water resources, ignore agricultural producers and wildlife resources, and give away public lands, all without providing revenue to the Crow Tribe. This opposition to the bill is joined by over 100 organizations across the country who understand the harm that would result from adding 375 million tons of greenhouse gases into the air as well as giving public lands to private parties. The cross section of opposition to the bills is strong –hunters and anglers, agricultural producers, faith-based organizations, water advocates, and more. The bill is also opposed by the Apsáalooké Allottees Alliance, an Indigenous organization whose members reside on the Crow Reservation and who called the bill a “beautifully wrapped” but empty birthday present.
The bills will need to pass both houses or be attached to must-pass legislation in the lame duck session of Congress. MEIC will continue to work diligently to prevent their passage and the false hope they promise to a Tribe that deserves to be treated honestly and needs meaningful long-term solutions to its financial difficulties, not the empty promises from Sen. Daines and Rep. Zinke.
*MEIC, 350 Montana, Sierra Club, and WildEarth Guardians, represented by Earthjustice and the Western Environmental Law Center in our successful challenge to OSM’s approval of Signal Peak’s mine expansion.
MEIC Deputy Director Derf Johnson was one of five witnesses to give testimony and answer questions at the November 19 hearing before the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources’ Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources. You can watch a recording of this hearing on the Committee website.
Proposed Transmission Line: A Solution with Broad Benefits
by Nick Fitzmaurice and Anne Hedges
Alarge proposed transmission line from Colstrip to North Dakota would create innumerable benefits to Montana and states across the West, helping accelerate decarbonization, clean energy development, and reliability. Montana’s transmission system is old and complicated. Upgrades are long overdue. That is why a new proposal to build a large connector line across eastern Montana is an important step in the right direction. But first, what makes Montana’s system so complicated?
Montana’s electric grid is split into two parts: The electric transmission system in the western two-thirds of the state is connected to the western grid of the United States, and the transmission system in eastern Montana is connected to the eastern grid of the U.S. (see map in top right). These two transmission systems divide the country from Canada to Texas because their frequencies are not synchronized. Straddling these separate systems and with limited connectivity across state borders, Montana is severely limited in its ability to move large amounts of power across the state and to trade power with utilities in other states. In essence, Montana is a cul-de-sac for electricity.
This issue has created an obstacle to an affordable and efficient electricity system in the West. Fortunately, one developer has stepped up to try and solve the problem. Grid United plans to develop a large power line between the western and eastern grids from Colstrip, Montana, to two locations in North
Dakota. The U.S. western and eastern electric grids run on alternating current (AC), but the two systems aren’t synchronized and therefore power cannot move directly between them. Instead, the east and west grids share limited amounts of power through a complex system using smaller direct current (DC) lines, where electricity is converted from AC, transported as DC, then converted back to AC and fed onto the neighboring grid. These connections are limited, but Grid United’s North Plains Connector seeks to create an additional 525-kilovolt high voltage DC connection between the grids. This line would carry a whopping 3,000 megawatts of power. The project is currently seeking permitting and regulatory approval from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Department of Energy. Construction is projected to span from 2028 to 2032.
In an effort to assist communities along the proposed path, deal with the construction impacts, and upgrade the downstream story continues on pg. 24
The proposed line would be approximately 415 miles long and connect substations in Colstrip, Montana; St. Anthony, North Dakota; and Center, North Dakota.
Rural County Adopts Zoning... Against Wind Energy
by Laura Collins
On October 23, in a move that challenged every presumption one may have about rural counties’ attitudes towards zoning, Wibaux County Commissioners voted in favor of county-wide zoning to prevent wind energy development.
Land use regulations — especially zoning — often face fierce resistance in rural areas where the protection of private property rights drives strong opposition to any government regulation. County-wide zoning is usually seen as an increase in government overreach and red tape, and runs counter to the rural Montana conservative, anti-big government ethos.
Very few Montana counties have successfully implemented county-wide zoning. Not even large counties with growing populations, such as Gallatin and Missoula, have adopted county-wide land use regulations. Wibaux County is 53rd in terms of population size of Montana’s 56 counties and has chosen to voluntarily shrink personal freedoms and limit economic opportunities for private landowners, the county, and the state. Unfortunately, the decision appears to be motivated by a targeted effort to block wind and solar energy projects.
In a place where fossil fuel industries have strong support, Wibaux County’s new ordinance is a stand against a rare economic development opportunity and rapidly changing energy landscape. For generations, Wibaux County has been largely an agricultural economy, helping to feed our nation. But as pressures on agriculture continue to grow and become more unpredictable, the opportunity to have value-added revenue from their land (i.e. wind turbines) offers a much-needed lifeline.
Montana Farmers Union voiced support for the development of alternative energy sources and the rights of families to utilize these revenue streams to support agricultural operations, warning that, “Wibaux County is sending a clear message that alternative energy is unwelcome and that the county is closed for business to alternative energy.”
Montana has the second-best wind resource in the nation and most of the opportunity for clean energy development lies in Eastern Montana. Counties that have supported wind development have seen an increased tax base and jobs while the State has seen
increased revenues. A comment submitted by the Montana Chamber of Commerce urged that “there are countless examples of zoning regulations that protect communities,” but “the proposed zoning will lead to unintended consequences and undercut economic opportunities both in Wibaux and the state of Montana.”
It’s extremely unfortunate that Wibaux County is choosing to turn down millions in tax revenue, employment opportunities, and much-needed economic development that would have bolstered public services, infrastructure, emergency services, and schools. By blocking renewable energy projects, they are turning down millions of dollars of investments and tax revenue that could have benefitted the county for decades.
Perhaps more troubling is that Wibaux County adopted its ordinance with support from several neighboring counties on either side of the state line. Fueled by an out-of-state law firm that represented the Bundys in their rebellion against public land management, Wibaux joins a growing number of counties nationwide where local governments are implementing highly restrictive policies that block the development of wind and solar energy projects. Counties in North Dakota have already passed similar regulations blocking renewable energy, with Bowman County being credited as the reference for the proposed ordinance. Government officials from Richland and Prairie counties also attended the hearing to support the ordinance and to announce that they — and other counties, such as McCone and Dawson counties — will consider adopting similar regulations designed to strangle renewable energy development across the entire region.
story continues on pg. 27
by Nick Fitzmaurice
Previous Down to Earth issues have explored key transformations that must be achieved as part of decarbonizing local and global energy systems to address the climate crisis: electrification of end-use energy, electricity decarbonization, demand side management, and electric transmission infrastructure expansion. This final installment explores the essential role that energy markets will play in ensuring the affordability and reliability of Montana’s clean energy future. For a consolidated version of these articles, visit www.MEIC.org/resources.
Lay of the Land
Regional energy markets are essential to a reliable and affordable electricity system. These markets also require investment in an electric transmission system that has largely been ignored for half a century. While transmission lines are the physical infrastructure that connects the grid system and delivers electricity from power plants to demand centers, energy markets dictate how these power transfers occur.
Electricity currently moves throughout the western electric grid based on a clunky and inefficient patchwork of individual transmission operators. A modernized and coordinated electricity market in the West will allow better interregional coordination for more optimal electricity generation and consumption by prioritizing electricity from more affordable power plants to boost the grid’s reliability.
Other areas of the country already engage in coordinated energy trading systems within a larger geographic area than is covered by a single utility. These systems, generally termed independent system operators (ISOs) or regional transmission organizations
(RTOs) don’t exist in most of the West. There is a strong push to create such an entity in the Western U.S. to allow utilities to take advantage of the tremendous geographic and weather diversities, and use the best available electricity resources at any given time. A step in the right direction has been the formation of a rudimentary Western market called the Western Energy Imbalance Market (EIM). The EIM allows participating utilities to trade electricity with other utilities on a short-term basis (an hour ahead) to meet spikes in demand or to sell excess power. Since 2014, the EIM has grown to include 22 participants (including NorthWestern Energy) which have realized over $6.25 billion in benefits. NorthWestern Energy joined the EIM in June 2021 and had already seen benefits of more than $107 million by the end of September 2024. The EIM helps western utilities trade electricity, but the current system is clunky and inefficient, causing exorbitant short-term energy prices during high-demand periods. NorthWestern Energy often construes high market prices as a reason to build more expensive generation infrastructure in Montana, when these prices really indicate the need for more advanced market systems and transmission upgrades. We need a larger organization that oversees the electric grid, expedites upgrades to an aging and inadequate transmission system, and ensures electricity is used more efficiently and affordably.
Regional Demands
Trading electricity across a greater geographic region boosts reliability and affordability by diversifying the available resources at a given time. While the wind doesn’t always blow in a given location, it’s almost guaranteed to be blowing somewhere else in the West. Instead of firing up an expensive in-state gas plant when the wind dies down, utilities can import cheaper renewable energy to meet that need. For example, the wind in Montana is most productive in winter months when coastal states have the highest demand for electricity, while the wind in Washington and Oregon is strongest during summer months when other states have a higher demand for electricity. Similarly, solar generation differs regionally depending on time of day and cloud cover, creating further opportunities for benefits in a connected region. In the January 2024 cold weather event in this region, it was solar electricity from the Southwest that kept the power on in the Northwest, thanks to trading enabled by the EIM. Sharing electricity resources across a greater area allows electricity to be used more efficiently and affordably. Trading only an hour in advance is just the start,
leaving room for further efficiencies and cost savings with longer trading horizons. Utilities, regulators, and advocates across the West are working to improve the electricity trading system through the creation of a market to allow trade commitments a day in advance. Two competing markets are in development to meet this need, with the Extended Day Ahead Market (EDAM), operated by the same entity that operates the EIM, presenting the clearest path towards unifying the Western electric grid under a single market structure. A single, west-wide market structure would allow the most efficient and cost-effective trading of electricity resources. EDAM has already been approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and will be onboarding participants by 2026. Many EIM participants have already committed to joining the EDAM. A more formally organized RTO would be the final market evolution in the West and would most optimally and cost-effectively coordinate power generation, transmission planning, and power sharing across the West. The formation of an RTO, something most of the country already has, is still many years away.
Myths and Misconceptions: No Nuclear
Nuclear electricity generation will not be part of a rapid, affordable clean energy transition. This is the most expensive form of electricity production, relying on underperforming technologies that could not be deployed in time for their carbon reduction benefits to mitigate the impending climate crisis. When these plants have been built at all, projects exceed initial budgets by billions of dollars and are completed years behind schedule, if at all. In some cases, cost overruns have saddled ratepayers with decades of extraneous expenses for canceled projects that never produced electricity. Uranium mining is a highly polluting process that is disproportionately harmful to Indigenous communities. And with no national repository, highly radioactive spent nuclear waste is stored on-site in “short-term” storage and will likely stay there for hundreds or thousands of years, risking environmental contamination from geopolitical instabilities and natural disasters. With the economic challenges, environmental damages, and social injustices propagated by uranium extraction, there is a strong case against nuclear.
Nuclear weapons and nuclear energy programs are closely related, with shared technology, expertise, and funding (ratepayer and taxpayer subsidies). For example, both programs of U.S. government are housed within the Department of Energy. While the national fervor around nuclear rages on, last year’s failed pilot project for NuScale Power’s Small Modular Reactor (SMR) in Idaho Falls – the only SMR design licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission – is yet another indicator that wasted investments into nuclear are directing funds away from where they can truly impact the energy transition.
by Laura Collins
It’s a trend that has played out nationwide for decades.
Fueled by policy and infrastructure that favors lowdensity, single-family homes, automobiles, and the desire of the affluent to flee urban areas, suburban sprawl has become characteristic of many communities across the country. For a long time, Montana seemed to be secluded from the obscene development trends that characterized much of the nation. However, it has become clear that Montana is not immune to the consequences of poor growth planning. Sprawl has come for the Big Sky State in full force.
Gradually, and then suddenly, uncoordinated development is rapidly transforming our rural Montana valleys into sprawling suburban landscapes. From Kalispell to Big Sky, once sparsely populated areas are being carved into subdivisions and ranchettes, splintering wildlife corridors and stretching water resources to the brink. In particular across western Montana, wide-open spaces are being converted to low-density, car-dependent suburbia.
Sprawl is an insidious force and a major contributor to the climate crisis. It is also expensive. Taxpayers bear the costs of road upkeep, water lines, and emergency services for far-flung developments. Water regulations, already lacking in science-based standards and monitoring, have gone unenforced. This all but encourages developers to site subdivisions on overdrawn aquifers that are unable to accommodate the additional demand that comes with thousands of new wells. Many of those wells are running dry, streams are losing their flow, and once-reliable water supplies that are the lifeblood of many of Montana's rural communities are disappearing.
No matter if it’s spilling out from urban centers or repeated subdivisions of rural tracts, the state loses more of its rural character with each new outward expansion. Montana’s sprawl is not just a pattern of unchecked growth. Sprawl is an existential threat to the very landscapes, communities, wildlife, and way of life that make Montana unique.
But who is responsible for the sprawl itself? Popular opinion would point to incoming new residents, but weak and permissive policies and loopholes in Montana’s water, land use, and development
regulations are the real driver. Subdivision laws are lax, with some counties offering little regulation. A lack of urban growth boundaries and insufficient water policy leaves local governments without a clear framework to control the outward spread of urbanization, enabling sprawl to push further outward.
Meanwhile, local land use policies, including exclusionary (or nonexistent) zoning, have led cities and counties to approve or deny developments — often on the whims of those with the time and resources to influence decisions — without a coherent strategy to manage growth. Exclusionary zoning often restricts housing options by mandating large lots or banning multifamily homes altogether, exacerbating the outward expansion of low-density, single-family, expensive subdivisions.
Unchecked sprawl threatens everything we love about Montana. Growth in the state is inevitable, but its trajectory is not. Thoughtful, sustainable planning rooted in policy that promotes “infill” and encourages gentle density offers a way forward that protects landscapes while strengthening communities.
It’s easy to feel wary about change, especially when it involves rethinking our neighborhoods and lifestyles. But the solutions to sprawl are not threats to our way of life. They are opportunities to strengthen our communities, protect our environment, and ensure a sustainable future for all Montanans. We must push for coordinated, state-wide planning that places environmental protection at the forefront. Local governments must be held accountable to enforce sustainable growth policies, and developers must be permitted and incentivized to build responsibly within existing urban areas.
The 2025 Legislative Session will be a significant moment in determining how Montana manages growth in the 21st century. MEIC will advocate for policies that promote sound land use planning, eliminate loopholes that exacerbate sprawl, and strengthen environmental protections surrounding land use decisions. The choices we make today about development will shape our state for generations. When we choose smarter growth policies, we can stop sprawl in its tracks, mitigate the impacts of climate change, and protect Montana’s iconic landscapes for future generations. What will we choose?
Welcome, Ben Catton!
Hello, I am a born and raised Missoulian who loves small towns, and I have lived in many rural communities across the mountain west. I’m drawn to places where mountains influence daily life. I like finding common ground across cultures and building relationships rooted in shared purpose. I’m a father of two, and I hope to see my kids inherit a healthy Montana. I want to share that hope, inspire action, and create tangible progress. I’m a licensed English and Spanish teacher with seven years of experience. I recently completed the University of Montana’s Master of Public Administration program. I’m excited to join MEIC as the Legislative and Program Assistant and work with its fantastic team of leaders to uphold the values of our Montana Constitution and push Montana towards a healthier future.
What are people saying about MEIC?
In 2022, MEIC members filled out a survey to let us know their top priorities and if there’s anything we could improve. We received so many responses and loved reading your words of encouragement, your thanks, and your suggestions. MEIC can’t exist without you, our members, and it means a lot to know that you’re happy with the way things are going.
Long overdue, here are some particularly notable quotes from our survey. (The full survey results are available in our 2022 Annual Report.)
About the Legislative Session:
"Give ‘em hell! Your legislative alerts on pending votes were great!"
"Keep us alerted about any efforts to change our state constitution."
“Stop NWE from bilking Montanans and wrecking our climate. (Obviously I don't need to tell you that; MEIC has been so great at it.)” “Any chance you could get it canceled??”
About MEIC’s work:
“MEIC is the most effective environmental organization I have ever been associated with in my 73 years of life. Well, my mother was the best one for five years or so.”
“MEIC is the best, most effective environmental lobbying group in MT! Keep up the good work! It makes a big difference.” “Just so grateful for the hard work you are doing. I learn so much from MEIC. Down to Earth presents issues in such a helpful and non-inflammatory way. I am able to use info from it as talking points with ‘non-believers’ and as a way to promote to others that you are about information. When the data is shown, then a person must move to objective not subjective action. Thank you!”
“Keep up the good workit's a tiring, uphill battle in this state to get legislators to recognize the dangers of climate change.” “I appreciate the honest and modest approach. If MEIC says it - I trust it to be accurate”
"I wish I had a million dollars to give you."
About MEIC staff and more:
"Great breadth and depth on issues. Anne Hedges is a ROCK STAR. Adam McLane was a ROCK STAR and should've been cloned. I like the ED position shared between Cari and Anne. Huge Thanks!"
“Thanks for all that each of the existing (and former) staff are doing to make Montana a special place to live, raise a family, and recreate.”
“You are a terrific team - you are doing very well to represent the public in Helena (legislation season). I'll continue to support you as much as possible!” “I appreciate the legal work that MEIC does. And the time and attention paid during legislative sessions, especially on proposed legislation with negative effects to the environment. Also appreciate the newsletters, etc. published during legislative sessions keeping members informed on specific bills”
What good is saving the planet if we've mined it to oblivion?
by Katy Spence
MEIC staff has long participated in the Western Mining Action Network (WMAN), a coalition of anti-hard rock mining advocates across North America. In fact, former MEIC Executive Director Jim Jensen was one of the founding members. The group makes concerted efforts to elect and follow Indigenous leaders, many of whom are on the frontlines of defending against damaging mines, cleaning up mine waste, and pushing for more just solutions to the climate crisis.
Derf Johnson is on the steering committee of WMAN, and Katy Spence recently attended the biennial conference in Montreal. As part of MEIC’s anti-racism audit in 2023, it’s part of our ongoing efforts to identify and name areas where we can improve on justice issues. Between conversations and workshops at the WMAN conference, it’s become increasingly clear that the call for electrification in the climate movement has the potential to leave many Indigenous people behind (and in fact, cause them harm) in pursuit of solutions to this global crisis.
Multiple reports cite that more than 50% of the minerals needed for electrification are on or adjacent to Indigenous lands. While at the conference, Indigenous advocates from across the U.S. and Canada shared story after story of battles against mines that are claiming to be solving the climate crisis: companies mine a litany of “critical minerals” ostensibly for renewable technologies like EV and solar batteries and nuclear fuel. In many cases, the Tribes are not consulted, informed, or compensated for these mining efforts, nor is the mining pollution properly cleaned. One attendee and longtime advocate, Earl Hatley, said the Superfund site on his ancestral lands is the first ever listed, and it has not been fully remediated even after several decades. In fact, companies are looking to re-mine the tailings pile on this project, rather than cleaning it up – a scenario all too similar to what the Fort Belknap Indian Community has experienced as a result of the Zortman-Landusky gold mine (pictured upper right).
In Montana, we’re no strangers to the damaging effects of mining and the undeniable fact that mining irrevocably changes landscapes and water for the worse. But the impacts of the climate crisis are bringing increased heat, decreased precipitation, and
more extreme weather events to the state as well. Many climate advocates find themselves caught in between a rock and a hard place when considering the tension between preventing harm to Indigenous people and the urgent need for decarbonization.
But perhaps it’s not so complicated.
Celia Izoard, keynote speaker at the WMAN conference, posed a simple but compelling question to the crowd: “Why is the biggest environmental problem of all time being solved by the most polluting industry ever known?”
Nuclear energy, for example, is dangerous from the time uranium is pulled from the earth to the time its waste must be buried back into it. There is no safe way to extract and use uranium, and the claims that nuclear power is more carbon-free than other energy generation is patently false. WMAN presenters shared sources that show how nuclear companies conflate and twist numbers to exclude the full life cycle of uranium extraction from calculating the carbon footprint of power generation — it’s not nearly as carbon-free as they want us to believe. In addition, a by-product of generating nuclear power is plutonium, a key ingredient in nuclear weaponry (no wonder the U.S. government wants to heavily subsidize the industry). Many Indigenous groups around the world, including on the Navajo Nation in the Southwest U.S., have experienced extreme harms of uranium mining, from cancers caused by extracting the ore itself to perpetually polluted water to violence from pro-mining opposition.
Celia Izoard pointed out that mining companies want people to think the solution to climate change is new technologies that require more minerals be mined. But Indigenous leaders know and have known better:
this is another ruse from the most polluting industry on earth so they can continue doing what they’ve always done – destroying landscapes, extracting metals from the ground, poisoning water, making enormous profits, and abandoning their messes. In many cases, “critical” minerals are not even being used for renewable energy projects; they’re being used by the Department of Defense and U.S. military, and mining companies are hiding behind green energy as an excuse to get federal incentives such as speedy permitting and subsidies.
It’s challenging to let go of a solution that feels as graspable as developing wind turbines, solar panels, and storage batteries, but it should be equally as challenging to face the reality of what that solution could mean for Indigenous communities. Perhaps luckily for many of us, Indigenous leaders have pointed to a slough of options that can help mitigate the climate crisis without leaving them behind.
• EV batteries and batteries for solar storage can and are being made with more readily-available materials that don’t need to be mined: batteries made from hemp, recycled iron, or even salt are proving to be as effective as lithium batteries. It’s inevitable that mining companies may try to stall or even prevent these projects, so it’s imperative that supporters speak up and express there is a demand for these products.
• Earthworks has reported that mineral recycling can reduce the need for new mining for materials in lithium batteries 25%-55%. Again, we need to express to our electeds and private industries that these processes need to be widely available, regulated, enforced, and just.
• “Planned obsolescence” seems to come for everything these days; nothing lasts as long as it used to – by design. Several burgeoning movements are calling for a return to a time when clothing, furniture, and other items were made to last and could be repaired, reducing consumption and demand for new products. It’s time to demand high quality products and the right to fix what’s broken – we just need regulations and the willpower to push for these solutions.
• The cleanest (and cheapest) energy is that which is not used at all. Energy efficient solutions at the site of generation, through transmission, and at the destination can reduce the amount of energy lost and, thus, required. Grid Enhancing Technologies (GETs) can adapt to electricity load on the line in real time, ensuring the amount that is transmitted is the amount that’s needed. In homes and buildings, better insulation, more efficient windows, and advanced lightbulbs save a surprising amount of electricity, reducing the overall demand.
• Find, follow, and learn from Indigenous leaders who deserve to be heard. Honor the Earth and Indigenous Climate Action are just two of many groups that are raising awareness about “green colonialism,” in which Indigenous lands are being sacrificed for the purpose of mining minerals. There’s a path forward that earnestly battles the climate crisis AND considers the health and well-being of people impacted by mining – especially Indigenous people. After all, what good is saving the planet from the climate crisis if we’ve mined it to oblivion in the process?
It’s Coming: Artificial Intelligence Increases Demand for Energy, Reinvigorates Nuclear
by Katy Spence
In Montana, the prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI) is still in its nascent stages: results in a Google search, features popping up in email, or a “virtual note-taker” in video meetings. Outside the state, AI is being adopted far and wide, and the implications for our climate are alarming.
According to IBM, AI is “technology that enables computers and machines to simulate human learning, comprehension, problem solving, decision-making, creativity and autonomy.” Recent widespread dabbling in AI has brought no shortage of controversy, as many technology companies are feeding human-created material into AI algorithms to “learn” and produce graphic art, written materials (such as reports for school), or to simulate human behavior in online chats or automated driving. While there is some evidence that AI can be used positively — to speed menial tasks, lower rates of human error, make helpful predictions, etc. — any use of AI demands huge amounts of energy.
In October, NPR reported that a query into popular AI tool ChatGPT requires 10 times as much energy as a Google search. A researcher with the Allen Institute for AI said, “One query to ChatGPT uses approximately as much electricity as could light one light bulb for about 20 minutes.” To put this in perspective, more than 200 million people every week use ChatGPT – and that’s just one of many AI programs available today.
The amount of processing and computing needed by AI tools is extreme, driving up many tech companies’
greenhouse gas emissions and disrupting climate goals. Several companies have recently announced plans to invest significantly in expensive nuclear energy in a hail-mary attempt at securing carbon-free energy for AI technology. Both Amazon and Google announced they would be investing in small nuclear reactors to power AI. Microsoft is planning to revive Three Mile Island. In July, Google released a sustainability report that indicated its greenhouse gas emissions had risen substantially, a full 48% higher than 2019 emissions. Much like cryptocurrency, our climate cannot handle extreme demands in unnecessary energy.
AI’s trendiness is driving demand through the roof and showing no signs of slowing down. Many of the tools we use at MEIC are introducing AI features, even if there’s no clear benefit from their inclusion. Even more frustratingly, many tools don’t make it easy to opt out of AI features. While some have argued that AI can be used as a problem-solving tool for innovatively addressing the climate crisis, it remains to be seen whether this hope will materialize to offset the tremendous atmospheric damage the technology is already causing.
So what can we do? Opt out of AI tools and features when you can (when searching on Google, try adding “-AI” to your search!). Send feedback to companies that are looking to introduce AI tools and ask for the ability to opt out (or ask the company to consider avoiding AI entirely). Demand regulation at the state and federal levels that set guardrails on AI and its uses, while ensuring that its energy consumption does not drive up emissions further. Let your legislators and Public Service Commissioners know that when demand for AI processing centers comes for Montana, they need to prioritize providing clean and affordable energy to ratepayers — not giant corporations who are destroying the climate.
Data centers for artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, and more demand enormous amounts of electricity, and demand is predicted to increase.
Karen Knudsen Honored as MEIC’s Conservationist of the Year
by Cari Kimball
When I lived in Missoula 14 years ago, I loved seeing how a river shapes the spirit of a place. People of all ages walk or ride their bikes on the pathways alongside the Clark Fork River. Our pup Wibaux learned how to swim in those chilly waters during daily visits to the park. Treats from the farmers’ market just taste better when eaten while watching surfers on Brennan’s Wave. And no summer is complete without an inner tube float session or two, enjoying the rowdy camaraderie of friends, the beautiful scenery, and then the bone-chilling wind that kicks up right at the take-out.
The Clark Fork River is embedded at the heart and soul of Missoula (and Montana!), and we want to thank Karen Knudsen for all the heart and soul she has dedicated to helping the Clark Fork ecosystem become what it is today. MEIC is delighted to recognize her as our 2024 Conservationist of the Year.
When Karen first arrived in Missoula over 30 years ago, the waterway was so contaminated that people avoided it. Her decades of persistent, collaborative, and innovative work have had an immense impact on the entire drainage, as well as the state. From the headwaters to the Idaho border, Karen has led the Clark Fork Coalition in finding multifaceted ways to not only improve water resources in the watershed, but also to educate people on the importance of the river. She’s led by example by showing what restoration should look like, and help people have fun along the way. During her 17 years leading the Coalition, her calm demeanor, innovation, and commitment to partnerships with people and organizations like MEIC has made the Clark Fork Coalition the state’s leader in
protecting an entire watershed and bringing people together to help accomplish that mission.
Karen’s tenure at the Clark Fork Coalition has had profound impacts across the state as well. Karen’s dogged determination is demonstrated in the Coalition's accomplishments. In 1999, the Coalition and MEIC were plaintiffs in the case in which the Montana Supreme Court ruled that Montanans have a fundamental right to a clean and healthful environment. The Coalition was an invaluable partner in helping stop a large gold mine on the banks of the Blackfoot River. The Coalition’s dogged dedication to cleanup of the Superfund site from Butte to Missoula has brought huge improvements in the water resources of the drainage. And Karen has brought the Coalition’s leadership to protecting water quality and water quantity, particularly on the issue of harmful exempt wells. In recent years, her leadership has seen the Coalition drive the cleanup of Smurfit-Stone’s toxic sludge along the banks of the Clark Fork River. The Clark Fork River and the Clark Fork Coalition both flourished under Karen’s leadership.
So the next time you have a chance to visit the Clark Fork River, we hope you’ll join MEIC in marveling at the beauty and resilience of this mighty river and please join us in thanking Karen for her mighty efforts bringing about more clean and healthful water in Missoula and beyond.
Photos provided by Karen Knudsen.
2024 Montana Futures Raffle
Montana’s Environment Wins!
Your chance to win . . . and help Montana’s environment!
The 2025 Legislative Session will be here soon, and the Montana Futures Raffle is the main source of funding for MEIC’s lobbying efforts. Supporting MEIC is one of the best ways you can affect Montana’s environmental policies. MEIC will be working on many critical issues such as expanding clean energy solutions, preventing efforts to increase the use of dirty coal, promoting a healthy future for Montana’s families, and protecting your constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment.
Here’s how it works:
Thanks to our generous donors from communities across Montana, we have incredible raffle prizes. From outdoor adventures to beautiful artwork to high-quality outdoor gear–there’s something for everyone here! The average prize value is $145 with some worth more than $300. Tickets are $100 and will be available for purchase until December 31, 2024. The drawing will be held the first week of January, and we will notify you whether or not you’ve won an item. You do not need to be present to win.
Featured Prizes
Handmade Table Lamp Made with LocallySourced Wood
Donated by Gary Aitken and Dona Boggs. Handcrafted lamp featuring locally-sourced wood and marquetry design. (Similar, but not identical, to image.) Valued at $400.
Birthday Party Package from Dear Potato
Two Night Stay near Glacier National Park
Donated by Roger Sullivan. Two nights at a solar-powered family “basecamp,” across the river from Glacier National Park. One queen bed, one full bed, and sleeping loft. Reservation required between May 15-September 15. Valued at $500.
“Three Birds”
Donated by James and Heidi Barrett. Ink/watercolor on paper. Archival reproduction. Valued at $325.
Buying a raffle ticket makes us all winners — you, MEIC, and Montana’s environment. Thank you!
Buy your tickets online by visiting our website or scanning this QR code. You can also give us a call!
One birthday party package at Dear Potato! Good for a two-hour private decorating party. Each guest receives either a 4'' cake or 4 cupcakes, decorating supplies, a party host, a pot of coffee, and all the Dear Potato vibes to yourself and your guests. Valued at $325
Four Tickets to Select Theatrical Performances
Donated by Rachelle Lacey of Alberta Bair Theatre in Billings. Valued at $204.
and
Experiences
Bryce Daviess, Missouri River.
Guided fly fishing trip on the Missouri (4/1-8/1) for two with lunch. $700
Shalon Hastings, Missouri River. Guided full day of fly-fishing on the Missouri River for two. Bring a lunch and jump in! $650
Wilbur Rehmann and Susan Miles, Helena. A 45-minute concert at your home by premier professional musicians Wilbur Rehmann and MJ Williams. $400
Beverly Magley, Helena. Gourmet garden party lunch for overlooking Helena. $200
Bishops Billings, Billings. Four free haircuts. $120
Paige Terhune, Exploration Works, Helena. One year family membership. $100
Brad Constantine, Billings Symphony, Billings. Two symphony tickets to Sukin Series Concert. $90
Ramsay Ballew, Myrna Loy Center, Helena. Date night! Two movie tickets, two drinks and a large popcorn. $40
Outdoor Gear
Dale Dramstad and Penelope Needham, Bloomington, MN. 7' 6" bamboo fly rod. $350
Patagonia Outlet-Dillon, Dillon. Arbor Lid Duffle and camp mug. $134
Anne Hamilton and Ron Stirling, Missoula. LL Bean 25 Approach Tubbs Snowshoes - lightly used. $65
Apparel
Food & Drink
Lifeline Produce, Victor. Fresh, fall vegetables that can be stored. $150
Blackfoot River Brewing Co, Helena. 25th Anniversary insulated tumbler, hat and $50 gift card. $105
Real Food Market & Deli, Helena. Gift card. $100
Jim and Angella Barngrover, Helena.
Five 1-lb bags of Cafe Mam Coffee. $75
Elaine Snyder, Kalispell. Shoulder purse of black deerskin leather with vintage turquoise button. $350
Kathleen McMahon and Robert Horne, Whitefish. A hand-made, custom-quilted “Tailgate” Apron for your favorite sports team(s). $150
Alpha Graphics, Helena. Embroidered Jacket. $100
Artwork Books
Michael and Debbie Lee, Helena. Missouri River Fort Benton. Unframed print. $300
Doug Turman and Mary Lee Larison, Helena. Framed original etching by Doug Turman. $275
Anonymous Aki Sogabe framed Prints - The History of the Japanese American Farmer. $150
Marjorie Reck, Cameron. 8" Bison Gourd. $150
Anonymous Cristina Tarpey - mixed media collage. (2 copies) $125 each
Leslie Stoltz, West Yellowstone. Book, DVD and CDs - all by “Walkin' Jim Stoltz” CDs. $120
This House of Books, Billings. Bundle of “Feel
The Bern: a Bernie Sanders Mystery” by Andrew Schaffer; “It's Ok to be Angry about Capitalism” by Bernie Sanders; “Revolution in Our Time” by Kekla Magoon. $85
This House of Books, Billings. Bundle of “Green Metropolis: Why Living Smaller, Living Closer and Driving Less are the Keys to Sustainability” by David Owen; “Storm Lake: Change, Resilience and Hope in America's Heartland” by Art Cullen; “Viral Justice” by Ruha Benjamin. $65
Anonymous Framed architectural print of Piazze D'Italia. $75
Anonymous
Wood block print of a mountain scene. $50
Michael and Debbie Lee, Helena. Five separate copies of “A Silhouette of Liberia.” $60 each
Bozeman Brewing Company, Bozeman. Gift card. $50
Ten Spoon Vineyard and Winery, Missoula. Three Bottles of Wine: Paradise Pear, Big Al’s Rosé and Roadblock Red Blend. $50
Big Dipper Ice Cream, Missoula. Gift card for all Montana locations. $50
Fact and Fiction Books, Missoula. Two books: “Becoming Little Shell” and “Astronomy Photographer of the Year.” $67.95
This House of Books, Billings. Bundle of “Mindful of Race: Transforming Racism from the Inside Out” by Ruth King; “Street Fight: Handbook for an Urban Revolution” by Janette Sadik-Khan. $50
Anonymous Uncancelled Framed stamp collections: 1979 “Year of the Child” British stamps and Vintage Japanese Artwork stamps. $50
vase. $60
Anonymous Unframed poster by Scotty Mitchell of Dry Hollow Canyon in Escalante Grand Staircase. $120
Clean and Healthful. It’s Your Right, Our Mission.
Food Store, Missoula. Gift card. $100
MEIC's Anne Hedges Honored with Prestigious Award
On November 13, Anne Hedges was awarded the Headwaters Award from the NW Energy Coalition (NWEC). The Headwaters Award is named after the headwaters of the Columbia River in Columbia Lake in B.C. and honors achievement and leadership by a person who is directly involved in NWEC and excels in advancing the group’s collective goals and mission.
NWEC is a great partner to MEIC and is key to providing expertise and regional perspective on energy related policy issues, particularly energy efficiency. For 40 years, NWEC has partnered with organizations such as MEIC across the Pacific Northwest to work with state and federal agencies, elected officials, and utilities to advance an affordable, equitable, clean energy system.
NWEC Executive Director Nancy Hirsh, pictured here with Anne, presented the award. Previous recipients of the award include MEIC’s former longtime executive director, Jim Jensen.
Transmission ( continued from pg. 12)
transmission system in Montana to handle the increased power from this new line, the federal government issued the State of Montana two grants this summer. The first grant of $47.5 million will help offset community impacts to the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, and Rosebud, Custer, and Fallon Counties. The second grant worth $700 million will help address infrastructure needs for the grid system, including $70 million to help upgrade the existing transmission line from eastern Montana to NorthWestern’s service territory and west coast utilities.
The importance of this project cannot be overstated. Two Colstrip power plant owners that plan on exiting the plant in coming years have signed agreements indicating they intend to own a share of the new transmission line. Avista Energy, who is giving its share of the Colstrip plant to NorthWestern Energy, is keeping its ownership of the Colstrip transmission system. Avista just announced it intends to own 10% of the new transmission line. Portland General Electric, another plant owner, must exit the Colstrip plant by
2030. It signed an agreement in May 2024 to eventually own 10% of the new power line. It also maintains its ownership share of the Colstrip transmission system. Both utilities clearly intend to use the new line and their existing share of the Colstrip line to move wind power from North Dakota to Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. While Montana has an excellent wind resource, North Dakota does as well and the two wind profiles are different enough to complement each other and boost reliability for west coast utilities.
To date, Grid United has proactively engaged with communities along the planned transmission corridor to gain community support for the project. It has avoided public lands and has worked with willing landowners. So far, the project is gaining support from across the political spectrum. Scoping meetings for the environmental impact statements in November and December will help indicate what issues the state and federal governments need to address to minimize impacts. For now, this long-overdue project seems to be moving in the right direction.
Building People Power: Welcoming MEIC’s Community Connectors
by Shannon James
As a grassroots advocacy organization, MEIC is only successful if we both invest in and draw upon our “people power.” Having a wide and deep network allows MEIC to energize and mobilize supporters, recruit new members, support communityled initiatives, and uplift a diversity of voices before decision-makers.
We recently launched MEIC’s new Community Connectors Program with the goal of engaging a handful of dedicated individuals as advocates and liaisons between MEIC and communities we serve. We are thrilled to have Erica Littlewolf in Busby and Katie Harrison in Billings join as Community Connectors.
Erica and Katie are playing a crucial role in growing our movement, fostering community engagement, and bringing positive change by connecting people across the state with opportunities for impactful involvement. If you get a chance to connect with them, please thank them for their contributions and join us in welcoming them to our team! We are excited to see how the program evolves and connects us with communities across Montana. Now, meet Erica and Katie!
What is your favorite way to connect with members of your community?
Erica: I have three ways I like to connect with my community. The first is with food or coffee, the second is at social gatherings, and the third is through doing normal things, like running into people at the store or gas station.
Katie: I love organizing events! Be it a gathering at my house, or vendor fairs and pop-ups. Not long after I moved to Billings, I felt that a community revolving around sustainability was needed here, so I started SustainaBillings. Starting out as a sustainability and earth-focused vendor pop-up, SustainaBillings has since evolved into the largest Earth Day celebration in eastern Montana!
How do you spend your time for MEIC?
Erica: As I will only be with MEIC for three months, I am currently spending most of my time building a structure for the Community Connector work. This is work that is fun, creative, and life-giving for me.
Katie: My primary focus at the moment is coordinating an event series called A River Runs
Brew It. We partner with breweries all around the state, as well as local watershed experts, to discuss the importance of safe and clean fresh water. I have also worked in the capacity of contacting MEIC members to encourage their participation in hearings such as with the PSC and the EPA, asking them to protect the earth and our constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment.
What environmental issues are most compelling or invigorating you personally?
Erica: Currently, I am most interested in climate change and the loss of biodiversity. These are two things that I have witnessed in my life span. What truly invigorates me is returning to plant medicines and understanding the medicinal use for each one.
Katie: I am very passionate about fighting plastic dependency and waste. In fact, I am a plaintiff in a lawsuit filed by Cottonwood Environmental Law Center just last year against the State of Montana for the role the State plays and has played in perpetuating plastic waste in our state. Our lawsuit argues that, based on the science, plastic not only causes irreversible damage to the environment, but also to human health.
What are your hopes for the future of Montana?
Erica: I hope Montana and the people of Montana will continue to protect the land we love. I like the feeling I get when I come back home after traveling to big cities – the silence, the darkness, the slow pace, and the commentary on the weather. I hope Montana will always be the place that offers me and others that.
Katie: To acknowledge injustices against Native Peoples in the state, and look to them for leadership in the great fight of our lifetime against the continuation of fossil fuel dependency and extractive practices.
Erica Littlewolf and Katie Harrison are MEIC 's Community Connectors.
MEIC Directors Reflect on 2024, Look Forward to 2025
by Cari Kimball and Anne Hedges
Wow, what a year and what a month… As we look back on everything that 2024 contained, we are heartened to reflect on some wins, but share your grief/frustration/anxiety about what the recent political developments will mean for a clean and healthful environment for Montanans.
In 2024, MEIC and our partners leveled oral arguments in front of the Montana Supreme Court twice this year for the protection of the Smith River and to stop the Yellowstone Valley Generating Station gas plant. These hearings represent the culmination of many years of motions, court filings, arguments in front of lower courts, and advocacy efforts from our members and supporters. MEIC helped hundreds of Montanans speak up for the environment in front of the Public Service Commission, Legislative Interim Committees, and the Department of Environmental Quality. We were successful in helping convince the U.S. Supreme Court to reject NorthWestern Energy’s attempt to exempt the Colstrip plant from following new rules to reduce toxic air pollution. We are so grateful to our partners, allies, and supporters who made all this possible.
This year, MEIC started building our Community Connectors program, an effort to invest in and draw upon “people power” for a more healthful environment (see article on pg. 17). MEIC’s Community Connectors Program was made possible by the generosity of some of MEIC’s longest, most stalwart supporters, our Clean
and Healthful Legacy Society donors. It is yet another example of how the elders of MEIC’s community of supporters are enabling our organization to thrive into the future. The Clean and Healthful Legacy Society members are people who have included MEIC in their planned giving, such as through a bequest in their will or by designating us as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy. Their thoughtfulness is already improving our organization; with our Endowment reaching the $2,000,000 threshold in 2024 and our board thoughtfully developing a policy for investing some of the Endowments’ earnings into our work. It can feel taboo to talk about death and dying, but we invite folks to keep in mind that bequests are created by passionate living people who are making a powerful statement today about their values and their hopes for the future of Montana. For many individuals, a bequest is the largest donation they’ll ever make and making that arrangement can offer an immense sense of satisfaction and peace.
On the personal and professional fronts, Anne was recognized in November as the the Headwaters Award winner by the NW Energy Coalition for her achievements and leadership for climate action and clean energy (see article on pg. 24). And in May, Cari had the opportunity of a lifetime to travel to Vietnam (pictured left) to participate in a professional exchange program through the U.S. Department of State and the Mansfield Center at the University of Montana, where she learned about some of the environmental problems experienced by diverse communities in Vietnam and
the solutions they are developing to address them.
As our organization anticipates what’s coming our way in 2025, we feel the chill of headwinds that just got stronger. The past four years of relatively progressive climate policies and environmental protections at the federal level are behind us. In the coming months and years, MEIC will defend attacks on the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, mining laws, and other regulations that govern fossil fuel industries. As we gear up for the 2025 Legislative
Session, we are preparing to fend off legislation intended to weaken measures that require polluters to pay for cleaning up their messes and rules that assess and prevent pollution in the first place. Our four lobbyists are prepping to be at the Capitol day-in and day-out, and we’ll be ramping up our outreach efforts, ensuring that people all across Montana have what they need to speak up for Montana’s environment.
We also know, of course, that we will be leaning on you all in the coming months and years for your ideas and your energy, your humor and generosity, and your willingness to hold many conflicting truths at the same time. We hope you’ll lean toward us also. Like you, we anticipate that with the incoming administration, we’ll experience grief and fear when policies are created to
antagonize our friends and family members and when we see laws passed that will degrade the integrity of our treasured waterways, lands, air, and the climate, and we will also be tapping into our sense of righteous indignation as we push back against these harms. Through it all, we hope you’ll also make time to get outside and revel in the beauty of Montana and to gather with your loved ones. The need to build up our reserves of joy, satisfaction, and connection to draw strength from has, perhaps, never been greater.
Zoning Against Wind ( continued from pg. 13)
Elsewhere in eastern Montana, a massive renewable energy milestone is making the news. In its first 10 months of operation, the Clearwater Wind Energy Center has contributed significantly to Portland General Electric’s production of one gigawatt of wind energy in a single day, and repeated this feat 25 times in 2024. One gigawatt is enough electricity to power roughly 830,000 homes. That is almost twice the number of homes in Montana.
The message from Wibaux County and its allies is clear. They are opposed to private property rights and
economic development opportunities if they stem from renewable energy proposals. Anti-renewable land use policies could have a ripple effect on the nation’s ability to transition to more affordable clean energy. By stifling renewable energy in some of the most viable regions of the nation, they are slowing much-needed progress toward carbon reduction, economic diversification, energy affordability, and energy independence. It’s not just about local land use anymore; it’s about our ability to face the global climate crisis and move toward a cleaner, more affordable and more sustainable future.
Anne Hedges attended a breakfast with 350 founder, activist, and author Bill McKibben and many other activists in Bozeman. The breakfast was hosted by the League of Women Voters.
P.O. Box 1184 Helena, MT 59624
