FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 10, 2022

MCV Panel Calls for Increased Investments and Action in Montana’s Clean Energy Economy

A Missoula City Councilman, BlueGreen Alliance, Winn-Marion and MCV team up to discuss Montana’s clean energy economy

(HELENA, Mont.) – Today, Montana Conservation Voters teamed up with Missoula City Councilman and Director of the Office of Transportation at the University of Montana Jordan Hess, the BlueGreen Alliance and Winn-Marion, an emerging technology company helping Montanan businesses install electric vehicle charging stations for a virtual discussion on Montana’s clean energy economy. MCV board member Chris Saeger of Whitefish moderated the panel, which covered the urgency of transitioning away from oil and gas given the war in Ukraine, growing the state’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure and ways to keep Montana’s workers at the center of the discussion to modernize the energy grid.

“We have an enormous opportunity to make sustainable and clean energy the norm in Montana,” said Councilman Hess. “We’ve seen a shift in public sentiment and getting those federal investments is crucial for pushing us forward. I’m proud of our work in Missoula to shift to battery-electric transit buses. Federal funding will be essential for electrifying public transportation across the state.”

Panelists discussed how climate and clean energy investments, like those found in proposals like Build Back Better, would have significant economic impacts in Montana, including creating nearly 32,000 jobs and saving Montanans $500 a year on their energy bills.

“Creating clean energy jobs will be great for Montana’s economy, but we need to make the most of this opportunity by ensuring these are high-quality jobs for our state’s thousands of skilled, union workers who want to work in this sustainable space,” replied Kate French with the BlueGreen Alliance, an organization that works to unite labor unions and environmental organizations. “We want to ensure they have a seat at the table when we plan for our clean energy future.”

The discussion also covered some of the investments already in motion, including new grants from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality’s Fast Charge Your Ride program, which puts millions of dollars into electric vehicle charging stations across the state.

“There’s no doubt that electric vehicles are here to stay; now we need to make sure there is the charging infrastructure to sustain them,” stated Jamison Lee with Winn-Marion. “Recent grants from the Montana DEQ are helping to ensure our key travel corridors have the charging facilities to keep Montanans and our visitors moving.”

“We’re at a real crossroads and the only viable path forward is through clean energy,” said the panel’s moderator Chris Saeger. “Dependence on oil and gas aligns us with petrostate dictators like Vladimir Putin. The opportunities and solutions discussed today will ensure Montana and America become truly energy independent, and maintain a healthy and sustainable future for generations to come.”

Climate and clean energy investments continue to see high levels of support in Congress. Discussions about their progress are ongoing, with a possible bill coming in the next few months. Montana’s Senior U.S. Senator Jon Tester has stated his support for climate and clean energy investments, like those found in Build Back Better, while U.S. Senator Steve Daines opposes these investments.