Links to Energy Resources

Become informed about the benefits of a clean energy economy!  Here are links to various reports, charts, facts and figures showing how Montana and the country can grow and benefit jobs and businesses by moving to an energy economy focused on cleaner energy production, increasing energy efficiency, retrofitting, expanding mass transit, and better uses of renewable energy technologies. 

• Natural Resources Defense Council: A Clean Energy Economy for Montana: Building Rural Communities Through Renewable Resources Development (March 2010)
• NCAT Montana climate Action Project: Creating Green Collar Jobs
• Environmental Defense Fund: Montana Will Benefit from Clean Energy Legislation that  Limits Carbon Pollution
• Environmental Defense Fund: Clean Energy Jobs in Montana (2009)

“Opportunities for Industry and Business: The Department of Energy has identified significant, untapped opportunities for key industries in Montana to prosper under a clean energy economy. There are at least 44 ways for small- and medium-sized industrial plants in Montana earn savings from efficiency, with an average payback of only 1.2 years. Only 41% of these opportunities have been implemented.3 The National Wildlife Federation has more information on Montana's clean energy opportunities [PDF].4”

• Political Economy Research Institute: Green Prosperity: How Clean-Energy Policies Can Fight Poverty and Raise Living Standards in the United States (June 2009)
  o   Montana-Green Prosperity and Poverty Reduction
  o   Billings, Montana-Green Prosperity and Poverty Reduction
• Political Economy Research Institute: The Economic Benefits of Investing in Clean Energy (June 2009)
• Political Economy Research Institute: Green Economic Recovery Program -Impact on Montana (September 2008)
• Political Economy Research Institute: Clean-Energy Investments Create Jobs in Montana
• Pew Center on the States: The Clean Energy Economy (June 2009)

“Research by The Pew Charitable Trusts shows that despite a lack of sustained policy attention and investment, the emerging clean energy economy has grown considerably—extending to all 50 states, engaging a wide variety of workers and generating new industries. Between 1998 and 2007, its jobs grew at a faster rate than overall jobs. Like all other sectors, the clean energy economy has been hit by the recession, but investments in clean technology have fared far better in the past year than venture capital overall. Looking forward, the clean energy economy has tremendous potential for growth, as investments continue to flow from both the government and private sector and federal and state policy makers increasingly push for reforms that will both spur economic renewal and sustain the environment.”

Montana is one of 12 states ranked by Pew as having “small and growing clean energy economies, with fewer than average jobs and some annual job growth, although their rates of growth— less than 2 percent—lag behind states with similarly sized clean energy economies.” ROOM FOR GROWTH!

• The Clean Energy Economy: Montana
• MCVEF web site: New Report: Thousands of News Jobs for Montana from Clean Energy
• US Climate Action Network: Climate Fast Facts-Montana
• Environmental Entrepreneurs: Clean Energy and Climate Policies Lead to Economic Growth in the United States (2008)  and in Montana
• HubPages: Top 20 Jobs in Montana -- Health, Human Services & Insurance

“Green industries and green businesses are growing fast in Montana also. Businesses, jobs, and careers developed through recycling and renewable or sustainable energy resources offer not only the new "green collar" jobs, but positions in IT, education, and other lines of endeavor. Green industry and alternative energy offer increasing numbers of jobs every year.”

Select opinion pieces on the need for a clean energy economy February-March 2010:

• Billings Gazette, March 27, 2010:  Opinion piece by Clover Anaquod, Missoula - Clean energy will create jobs for Native Americans
• Helena Independent Record, March 24, 2010:  Guest opinion piece by Sara Patton and Diego Rivas of the Northwest Energy Coalition - Energy efficiency key to clean energy future
• Bozeman Chronicle, March 19, 2010: Column by mountaineer and author Conrad Anker -  CONRAD ANKER: Small steps to energy independence
• Missoulian, March 15, 2010:  Guest opinion piece by James Steele, Montana-Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council and former chairman of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes - Climate meeting provided path for better treaty
• Missoulian, March 14, 2010: Opinion piece by Zachary Brown, Missoula - Next generation, push for change
• Helena Independent Record, March 12, 2010: Opinion piece by Dick Thweatt, Helena City Commissioner – Congress must put a price on greenhouse gases
• Billings Gazette, February 28, 2010: Opinion piece by Rachel Healow, Billings - We’re losing the race to clean energy
• Helena Independent Record, February 24, 2010: Opinion piece by Mary Fay, Helena - Support HR 2454
• Missoulian, February 21, 2010: Opinion piece by Ernest Scherzer, Trout Creek – Global warming: America should innovate, lead
• Billings Gazette, February 20, 2010: Opinion piece by Susan Hills, Billings - Clean energy does not equal economic doom
• Billings Gazette, February 8, 2010: Guest opinion piece by Henry Dykema, owner of Sundance Solar Systems, and Randy Hafer, president of High Plains Architects in Billings - U.S. needs to build clean-energy economy for security, prosperity.