Climate Smart Missoula

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  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Our Story
    • Annual Report
    • People + Partners >
      • Smarty Pants Awards
    • In the News >
      • Missoula Current Column
      • Summer Smart News
    • Podcast
    • Jobs and Opportunities
    • Blog
    • Contact Us
  • Adaptation
    • Overview
    • Summer Smart >
      • Active Fires
      • Hotter Days and Nights >
        • Heat + Health Risks
        • Prepare for Heat
        • Shade
      • Drought and Low Flows
      • Shareable Products
      • Partners and Supporters
    • Wildfire Smoke >
      • HEPA Air Filtration
      • Improving Indoor Air Quality
      • Clean Air-Healthy Homes
      • Clean Air for Schools & Daycares
      • Pregnancy + Infants and Smoke
      • Older Adults and Wildfire Smoke
    • Resiliency Planning
    • Health and Climate >
      • Mental Health
    • Art and Humanities
    • Adaptation Resources
  • Mitigation
    • Overview >
      • 2015 Action Plan
      • Community Emissions Inventories
    • 100 % Clean Electricity
    • Solar >
      • Solar Ease
    • Buildings 4 the Future >
      • Electrify + B4F
      • Energy Smart
    • Transportation + Smart Growth >
      • Land Use Planning
      • Electric Vehicles
      • Electric Bikes
      • Electric Buses
    • Financing
    • Zero Waste
    • Water Overview >
      • Water and Energy
      • Water and Resiliency
    • Mitigation Resources
  • Get Involved
    • Calendar
    • State Legislature 2023
    • Connect with us >
      • Volunteer Opportunities
      • Visualizing Climate
      • Climate Venn Diagram
    • Accelerate Clean Energy with the IRA
    • Act, Advocate, Assist
    • Clean Energy Expo
    • Footprint Fund
  • The Science
    • Overview
    • Climate Justice >
      • Justice and Indigenous Knowledge
    • Localized Impacts >
      • Specific Local Impacts
    • What We're Doing
  • Donate

Climate Advocacy:
Amplifying our Voices

Advocacy Opportunities

The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act - true Federal Climate Action

9/15.

We are so excited to bring the IRA to Missoula and you too can be advocate for this and more. How?  

Check out our Accelerate Clean Energy page, where we offer our suggestions. 

You can also visit Electrify Missoula for more, and we'll be ramping up our efforts ahead of rebates and incentives that should start in 2023.

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More Actions + Advocacy. Click on the buttons below to get the deets! Or simply scroll down
100% Clean Electricity
Montana's  Climate  solutions Plan
Speak Up!


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100% Clean Electricity for Missoula

March 2021: 
Our community is moving forward. -- slower than we'd hoped but things are happening. ​Climate Smart is working with partners to figure out how Missoula can best get to 100%. We're leading efforts to develop a ROADMAP which we hope to complete late 2021 (see below).

A significant component of the Roadmap to 100% Clean Electricity is an Implementation Plan being developed by Missoula County, the City of Missoula and NorthWestern Energy (NWE). and as per their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU, signed August 2021). The Draft Implementation Plan is 
HERE. The Implementation Plan contains 6 work plans that have potential to facilitate a significant start in our transition to 100%.

The City and County are taking comments on this draft plan through March 15 via Engage Missoula. Comment if you can. 

Our short take is that these 6 workplans are a solid and necessary start - Phase 1 if you will - but we know we need more and we hope NWE will be willing to help us actually make a plan to get closer to 100%.

The six workplans include
:
  1. Utility-scale renewable energy via a new "green tariff": Yes - we need this! This would not only help Missoula but other MT communities and together (Missoula City and County, Bozeman, Helena) they've hired a consultant to develop the strongest rate structure possible. 
  2. Community-scale solar  - this should be closer to or exceed 10 MW in size, not 3!
  3. Energy efficiency - NWE needs to offer more assurance that e.e. is a priority
  4. Pilot "time of use" rate structures  - Yes to these. 
  5. Rate structure for electric buses. Another yes - we're excited about moving to an all electric bus fleet and REALLY need a fairer rate to charge the buses.
  6. Energy data sharing. Yes, yes, yes - we really need these data to know if we're on the right trajectory - the right DOWNWARD trajectory.

Meanwhile we at Climate Smart are leading the development of a Roadmap to 100% which will help guide broader community priorities, beyond just what we can accomplish with NWE. There's much we can get started on. Solar + Energy Efficiency efforts are ongoing, even in these challenging times.  If you have questions about this process, feel free to email Amy.


Background on 100%:
100% Clean Electricity Joint Resolution adopted by both City and County in April 2019 

The resolution was adopted by the County Commissioners and City Council in April. See more about this effort on our 100% Clean Electricity page as well as coverage of this process on our In the News page.  

This effort grew out of our 100% Clean Electricity Options Report in 2018 (the latest and greatest version is HERE). Since then, we've been working with the City, County, and an ad hoc group of partners to keep this effort moving forward and we are thrilled to have passed a joint resolution to adopt the goal of 100% clean electricity for the Missoula community by 2030.  Thank you to all who showed your support and made this happen, by coming to the meetings, signing the open letter (nearly 500 signatories!) and spreading the word. This was a team effort and we are so proud of our community. 


Statewide Advocacy -- Montana's Climate Solutions Plan

Montana's Climate Solutions Plan was released in September, 2020. The plan represents a year+ long process. Climate Smart's ED Amy served on the Council and, with a diverse group of council members, worked hard to develop durable strategies to meet carbon pollution reduction goals and build a healthy and resilient Montana. 

Fall 2020. We have a plan but is it being enacted?

Not exactly!  After a summer of wildfires, smoke, drought and heat, we need action and implementation. Check out these news articles. and contact Governor Gianforte and ask him what he is doing to combat climate change and whether he is enacting Montana's Climate Solution Plan! Mention it is urgent and we need leadership!

Contact the
Governor HERE. Or call his office: 406-4463-3111

  • Climate professionals urge state action amid heat, drought in Montana. (Aug 28, KPAX)
  • Climate Solutions Council members to Gianforte: We have a plan (Aug 12, Montana Free Press)
  • Gianforte ends Montana's climate change coalition membership (July 9, AP)


Read the final Montana Climate Solutions Plan HERE.

More about the Climate Solutions Council and the studies that support the final plan are linked HERE - and then scroll down to "Past climate and energy planning and resources... "

Check out this article about the plan from the Montana Free Press.

It's up to all of us to ensure the recommendations are implemented and strengthened and to advocate with our State Leaders to enact.

​As Amy says, "The plan is chock full of needed strategies to build a resilient Montana and significantly reduce our emissions. It now needs leadership, policies, funding and all of us to help implement." What can you do today? Let your state legislators and the Governor know about your climate priorities and support for elements of this plan!

There are lots of ways to advocate for a healthy climate...

It's always a good time to speak out for climate solutions.  You can write letters to the editor, get involved in election campaigns for those who support climate science and action, send an email to the Governor about how you would like to see Montana take action, or speak to your friends, neighbors, and local representatives. 
  • Write a letter to the editor - these are read by elected officials.
  • Share your climate concerns and stories with us - email to get started.
  • ​Create and share ART that speaks to a resilient community.. Remember eARTh without art is just eh....
  • Hug your kids and neighbors, and smile at strangers.

​Here are some ideas re: talking to others about Climate Change:
  • It's time for climate change communicators to listen to social scientists.  From Grist.
  • Focus on those with an open mind from Yale Climate Connections
  • Tips from Climate Nexus
  • Ideas from Grist ​
​
​Because the best tonic for despair is action.
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People's Climate March and Rally 

We had great turn out for BOTH People's Climate March and Rallies - April 2017 and Sept. 2018. Thank you!!
​
Head here for media and more. 
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Solar Jobs Rally in Helena

Thanks for Rallying back in 2017

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Stay in touch for upcoming events...

See our calendar and join our mailing list to stay up to date on advocacy opportunities. 

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