[MCN] Earth to NorthWestern Energy: Renewables Now!

[Jeffrey J. Smith]

The climate activist group 350 Montana announces a statewide TV ad campaign
to get citizens to comment by May 4 on NorthWestern Energy's new 20-year
procurement plan.



The ad is viewable here:
https://www.gofundme.com/no-more-coal?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fb_dn_postdonate_r&fbclid=IwAR2WFud48wBUk8OhNxTrvZIgnNeZdEVafUeTbBnFc_hSyBoNrzU_raVHClk


<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crZx7vj4Yjo>

*“We’re seeing climate change in our dying rivers, extreme forest fire
seasons, and advancing threats to our two largest industries, agriculture
and tourism. It’s time for NorthWestern Energy to put away the fossil fuel
blunderbuss and move to renewable energy, what most Montanans want.” — Jeff
Smith, 350 Montana*



NorthWestern Energy's ugly horse-trading for more coal at the Legislature
and its desire to throw off all regulation by the Public Service
Commission (PSC)
is bad enough, but its new plan is even worse.


Montana’s PSC requires our monopoly utility, Northwestern Energy, to plan
for the next 20 years to make sure it can provide Montanans the least
expensive and most reliable energy. In 2015 the company published its
*procurement
plan* and wanted to build $1.3 billion of natural gas (methane) generators
to replace the coal-fired generators at Colstrip, which owners on the West
Coast are retiring at the end of their 30-year useful life.



The PSC rejected that 2015 plan and told the company to go back to the
drawing board and involve more “stakeholders.” The company then requested
many delays. In four years, NorthWestern Energy held only one public
hearing. Not once did they use their million-dollar public relations
department — so active in defeating all solar and wind proposals in the
Legislature — to inform ratepayers of the issues.



*“Commenting on NorthWestern Energy’s procurement plan is one way Montana
ratepayers and citizens can fight back against a company that pollutes the
legislative process as much as it pollutes the stratosphere. It shouldn’t
be able to turn up its nose at conservation and Montana’s less expensive,
world-class wind and solar.” — Carla Abrams, 350 Montana*



The newly released, 2019 plan describes how the company has difficulty
meeting peak demands, but, instead of detailing a conservation strategy or
looking to renewable energy, it veers off into a vague request-for-proposal
without specifics. At the same time, the company CEO, Bob Rowe, wrote an
op-ed for Montana newspapers saying he welcomed the opportunity – free of
PSC regulation – to buy more coal-powered electricity.



This is at a time when Montana’s costs resulting from climate change are
staggering. In actual fact, we’ve reached a tipping point where continuing
to pour greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is costing more than moving to
carbon-free, renewable energy:

   - Montana had to cut $50 million in essential services to pay its fires
   bills in 2017.
   - The fires reduced Montana’s tourist visitations by 400,000 visitors,
   and the state lost $240 million in our recreational economy.
   - A *2016 Montana Farmers Union study*
   <http://montanafarmersunion.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/FINAL_Impact_Climate_Change_MT_Ag_Econ_Power_Consulting_2-24-2016.pdf>,
   “*The Impacts of Climate Change on Montana’s Agriculture Economy,”
*concluded
   that the impact of unchecked climate change on Montana’s two primary
   agricultural sectors is projected to be a 20 percent decline in rangeland
   cattle production and a 25 percent reduction in grain production. That
   means losses of 25,000 jobs and $736 million in labor earnings by
   mid-century.
   - And a *2015 Montana Wildlife Federation study*
   <http://montanawildlife.org/climate-impact/>, “Impact of Climate Change
   on the Montana Outdoor Economy,” documented a potential loss of 11,000 jobs
   and $281 million income due to stream closures that limit fishing, lost
   hunting opportunities, wildfires, and reduced snowpack for winter
   recreational activities if we do nothing to limit greenhouse gases.



*“We need to let NorthWestern Energy know that citizens want a halt to
greenhouse gas emissions that are at the root of climate change. We don’t
support any plan to spend billions of ratepayers’ money to buy more coal or
build more fossil fuel plants.” **— John Woodland, 350 Montana*



350 Montana encourages Montanans to go to our website, www.350montana.org
to learn about the 2019 procurement plan. Or people can go directly to
NorthWestern Energy’s comment site:
*https://contactus.northwesternenergy.com/userforms/sspf*
<https://contactus.northwesternenergy.com/userforms/sspf>



For more info: Jeff Smith, yswolfhowl at gmail.com
<http://www.350montana.org/what-do-i-say-in-my-comment/>





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