Montana Addresses Climate Pollution Without Closing Coal Plants

October 10, 2014- Montana is working on ways to reduce climate pollution by improving energy efficiency and increasing other forms of cleaner renewable resources -- without closing coal plants. Gov. Steve Bullock recently outlined a list of options that could diversify and clean the state’s energy landscape.

The potential changes include: investing in new renewable electricity infrastructure to harness wind, sun and water resources and improving the efficiency of Montana’s nine coal-fired plants, including PPL Montana’s Colstrip Steam Electric Station, the second-largest coal plant in the West.

Along with adding jobs to the state’s economy, the new approach could help protect Montana’s environment from the impacts of climate change, Bullock said.

Across the U.S., state officials are crafting similar clean-energy strategies in response to Obama’s controversial move to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. The EPA this past summer issued a draft plan to regulate carbon pollution from existing power plants.

After assessing each state, the EPA gave unique targets for carbon reduction that must be met by 2030. The average nationwide reduction goal is 30 percent, and Montana’s target is 21 percent. States have until 2017 to create emission reduction plans.

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