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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11pt">Release: October 23, 2017</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11pt"><br></span></b><b><span style="font-size:11pt"></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><b><u><span style="font-size:14pt">Powering Montana’s Future: </span></u></b><b><span style="font-size:14pt"></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><b><span style="font-size:14pt"> </span></b><b><span style="font-size:14pt">a panel
discussion in Missoula</span></b>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><b><u><span style="font-size:4pt"><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In Montana we no longer have to wait for climate change. Its
evidence pulses through our state in the mega-fires and smoke-choked
communities after a normal snowpack, a “flash drought” shriveling our
agricultural landscape along with a fire that burned 270,000 acres, and “hoot
owl” restrictions that crimp our rivers and streams and cause tens of thousands
of cold-water-dependent fish to go belly-up on our iconic Yellowstone River at
the height of tourist season.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is only one question remaining about our coal industry
and its Colstrip electrical generators. That question is, what comes after the
Colstrip plants’ decommissioning? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">350 Montana decided to research and publish reports and
sponsor a citizen forum: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Arial">MISSOULA: </span></b><b><span style="font-family:Arial">Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at 7:00
p.m.</span></b><span style="font-family:Arial"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial">UC Theater, University of Montana</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><i><span style="font-size:4pt;font-family:Arial"> </span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial">Special Topic:<i>
Climate Change and our Economy, Politics & Policy</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">Missoula Panelists: Donovan Power (Power
Consulting); Dick Barrett (MT State Senator), Jacqueline Sussman, UM grad
student, and John Woodland, 350 Montana co-chair</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Global climate change is due to the continued burning of
fossil fuels, many from Montana,” said Jeff Smith of 350 Montana, which is
co-sponsoring the forums. “Warming temperatures are responsible for the
devastating fires across our state and the disastrous storms we see elsewhere.
Citizens across our state and our elected officials need to plan a safer,
cleaner, and sustainable energy future for Montana, or soon the Last Best Place
will only live in our memories.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">350 Montana commissioned two reports written over this past
summer: one on Montana’s transition to renewable energy and the second on the
role Northwestern Energy (NWE), Montana’s corporate energy provider, plays in stifling
a carbon-free energy system. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">NWE’s website suggests, “We are committed to providing responsible,
sustainable energy to meet our customer’s needs, while protecting, and even
enhancing, the natural environment.” Yet their actions show a very
different relationship with the environment and the concerns of Montana citizens.
Polla show that over 90 percent of favor more wind and solar energy.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s also true that Northwestern Energy (NWE), Montana’s
largest utility, released a plan in 2015 for how it wants to generate
electricity for the next 40 years. The utility wants to spend $1.3 billion on
13 new natural gas units to meet “peak demand” and deliver energy to Montana
citizens. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Natural gas plants are currently their choice of energy
production,” said Carla Abrams a member of 350 Montana, “rather than adding
carbon-free renewables and utilizing storage options to meet our projected needs.
Of course, they seek to be vertically integrated, owning the gas wells, the
pipelines, and the generators and raking in profits.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">350 Montana thinks using renewables and developing storage
opportunities is the solution, not climate damaging fossil fuels—a path that
has lead us to the edge of climate chaos.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">NWE claims that because solar and wind are intermittent,
they can’t be used on hot afternoons in the summer or cold winter nights.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“We at 350 Montana, and many other organizations and allies
in Montana, couldn’t disagree more,” said Jim Parker, another 350 Montana
member and moderator of the panel discussions. “That’s why we decided to hold
these panel discussions and release our Reports. Montana has a profound
opportunity right now, with the Colstrip plants going down, to implement a just
transition to 100 percent renewables. And we should.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The panels will discuss both of the reports’ conclusions,
while also discussing ways Montana can use renewable technologies, storage
capacities, conservation techniques and other advances to meet this challenge.
Each panel discussion will have a special topic that will be discussed
pertinent to that area’s economic and social interests. The panels will also
discuss what citizens can do to encourage our legislative leaders,
decision-makers and energy providers to support our demands for a 100 percent
transition away from fossil fuels and towards a renewable energy future.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“And when we switch,” adds 350 Montana’s Jerome Walker, “as
we know we must, to clean, renewable electricity that’s generated by all the
wind, sun, and flowing water we have here in Montana, then some of these ideas,
maybe even most of them, will be needed and will be used.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i> </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0.1pt 0in 12pt"><i>* 350 Montana is an
affiliate of the international organization <a href="http://350.org">350.org</a>. Our mission is to work to
reduce atmospheric CO2 concentrations to 350 ppm by implementing strategic
actions and advocating policies to end fossil fuel burning with the greatest
urgency. We envision a rapid conversion to a 100 percent renewable global
energy system using wind, water, and solar. We work with the global
grassroots climate movement to achieve these goals and safeguard Earth’s
life-support systems.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0.1pt;text-align:center;line-height:150%" align="center">***<span>
</span>END<span> </span>***</p>
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