Our Spring 2022 Electrify Missoula series

How can we accelerate local climate solutions and meet our climate goals, while improving our community’s health, economy, buildings, and transportation? Electrify Missoula!

Our built environment is both a huge source of climate-heating emissions and a huge opportunity for investing in low-carbon, healthier ways of living and getting around. Switching from fossil-fuel appliances, like gas furnaces and boilers, to efficient electric ones for space and water heating is a key piece of the puzzle. AND we can switch to all kinds of electric transportation options. AND let's get more solar systems to power it all! 
 
You can watch or listen to these 3 excellent webinars: 
  • March 10 - Growing Solar: Clean Electricity for All
  • April 6  - Getting off Gas: Why - and How - to Electrify Our Homes and Buildings
  • May 4  - EVs, Buses, and Bikes, Oh My! Electrifying Transportation!

Thanks to all who joined, especially our amazing panelists. 
Part 1: March 10 - Growing Solar: Clean Electricity for All

The first part of this series is all about SOLAR. The Climate Smart team was joined by Andrew Valainis of the Montana Renewable Energy Association, Orion Thornton of OnSite Solar, and Paul Herendeen of Clearwater Credit Union, for an informal presentation (with plenty of time for Q&A) about: 

  • How solar fits in to the electrification equation, at the home and community levels
  • The nuts and bolts of installing solar on your home or business
  • The latest policy updates and financing options, and what's coming down the pike
  • How to be a solar advocate in support of Missoula's quest to reach 100% Clean Electricity by 2030 (and a livable, clean-energy future)
Weren't able to join us? A recording of the webinar is available via YouTube - just click below to watch.

Links, resources & calls to action:

☀️ Clearwater Solar Loans: https://clearwatercreditunion.org/home-loans/home-energy-loans/
☀️ DEQ Alternative Energy Loan Program: https://deq.mt.gov/energy/Programs/AERLP
☀️ MREA Solar info https://montanarenewables.org/renewable-energy/solar-pv/
☀️ Installer Directory: https://montanarenewables.org/directory/
☀️ Panelist contact info:

CALL TO ACTION:

🗣️ Have SOLAR CONVERSATIONS - with your friends, family, organizations, groups
✍️ WRITE Letters to the Editor, Op-Eds - they matter!
📞 CALL your senators! https://call4climate.com/

Part 2 - April 6 - Getting off Gas: Why - and How - to Electrify our Homes and Buildings

Weren't able to join us? Watch the recording via YouTube!
The second part of this series is all about electrifying our homes and buildings - and why it's critical that we get off gas, for human and planetary health.  Those who have the ability to make choices and changes in these spaces can play a vital role in shifting away from fossil fuels. As electrification expert and advocate Saul Griffith says, “It’s where the choices about what kind of machines we use make our climate actions and climate solutions personal."

Local energy and building-industry experts joined the Climate Smart team to discuss:
  • The climate and health dangers of methane gas & Montana's current energy landscape
  • Making the transition: why we have to electrify everything…especially buildings!
  • Common barriers to electrification 
  • What steps can we take to electrify, as individuals and communities?
Panelists:
  • Anne Hedges, Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs, MEIC
  • Reid Prison, Senior Program Manager, McKinstry 
  • Sarah Ayers and Luke Jackson, founding partners of LOCI Architects
  • Paul Herendeen, Director of Impact Market Development, Clearwater Credit Union

Links, resources & calls to action:

☠️MEIC “Dangers of Gas” PDF: https://meic.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/gas-facts-sheet-LONG-small-file-size.pdf

⚡ https://www.electrifymissoula.org/

📣Calls to Action! 

  • MEIC’s Action Center & Bill Tracker
  • MEIC: Things you can do this week
  • Take Rewiring America’s Pledge to Electrify
  • Check out Electrify Missoula! 
  • Have you made the switch to an electric system? Get in touch and share your electrification story: respond with contact info. (drop in chat or message us directly) we will be in touch with a follow up email
  • Follow up with any questions or ideas about how to Electrify Missoula and Montana
  • Support elected officials who advocate for climate solutions, health and energy equity.

​Part 3 - May 4 -  EVs, Buses, & Bikes, oh my! Electrifying Transportation

Let's electrify the ways we get around. Hear about and from: 
​
e-Bikes: Alex Gallego - owner of Missoula Bicycle Works
​e-buses: Shanti Johnson - Communications Director, Mountain Line
e-charging stations: Neal Ullman - MT DEQ
e-autos: Amy Cilimburg - Climate Smart Missoula

Our Calls to Action:
Ride the bus!
Get involved in local planning efforts like Higgins Street Redesign 
Join Missoula in Motion's "Way to Go Club"
Weren't able to join us? A recording of the webinar is available via YouTube - just click below to watch.

Links, resources & calls to action:

⚡https://www.missoulaclimate.org/transportation--smart-growth.htm

⚡https://www.missoulaclimate.org/ev.html

⚡https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/evfunding

⚡https://www.missoulaclimate.org/transportation--smart-growth.html

⚡https://www.missoulabicycleworks.com/

⚡https://mountainline.com/zero-emissions-technology