MONTANA ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION CENTER
by Conor Ploeger
C
lean energy was under constant attack during the 2021 legislative session. From the beginning, legislators targeted it in a never-ending quest to deny the existence of the climate crisis. Many bills were passed that will set Montana back decades in the race to a clean energy future. MEIC’s victories weren’t about increasing access to clean energy; instead, they simply meant that by killing some of the worst of the bills Montana didn’t lose quite as much ground. Here’s the rundown.
Renewable Energy
Montana will be the first state in the nation to completely eliminate its renewable energy standard. Since 2005, the renewable energy standard has encouraged clean energy development because it required large utilities (i.e., NorthWestern Energy) purchase a certain amount of electricity from renewable energy sources. Many states are expanding their renewable energ y standards, but the Montana Legislature eliminated Montana’s renewable energy standard entirely by passing HB 576 (Rep. Jerry Schillinger, R-Circle). This bill was also amended to weaken support for low-income and tribal energy assistance
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programs. Recently, a district court judge held that NorthWestern Energy failed to comply with Montana’s renewable energy standard. That should have meant that its shareholders would have to pay $2.5 million to low-income and tribal energy assistance programs. Two bills eliminated NorthWestern’s obligation to pay this penalty. HB 576 and SB 237 (Sen. Doug Kary, R-Billings). both retroactively eliminated all fees and penalties owed for these failures. Finally, SB 201 (Sen. Steve Fitzpatrick, R-Great Falls) makes it more difficult for renewable energy developers to sell electricity to NorthWestern Energy. SB 201 prohibits the Public Service Commission (PSC) from taking into account the benefits of avoided environmental externalities and carbon dioxide emissions when setting the rates that NorthWestern will pay when it buys electricity from clean energy developers.
Electric Vehicles
Electric vehicle owners also came under attack during this legislative session, but the good news is that HB 188 (Rep. Denley Loge, R-Saint Regis) was vetoed by Gov. Gianforte at the final buzzer. This bill would have imposed higher vehicle registration fees on electric vehicles in Montana, including the highest registration
Protecting Montana’s natural environment since 1973 .
