Montana Conservation Groups Urge Congressional Delegation to Pass New Energy Policy

Billings, MT…Ten Montana conservation organizations representing nearly 42,000 collective members sent a joint letter to Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester and Rep. Dennis Rehberg this week urging them to act quickly to rectify differences between U.S. House and Senate versions of energy legislation and pass a strong energy bill by year’s end.  The groups are promoting a set of principles for a new national energy policy that includes more aggressive energy efficiency provisions, a national renewable energy standard, increased fuel efficiency requirements for vehicles and land and water protections.

“It’s time for Congress to stop talking and start implementing solutions to solve the climate crisis,” said Dave Tyler, a Belgrade sheep rancher and chairperson of Montana Conservation Voters.  “Congress needs to deliver this Energy Bill by the end of the year as an important down payment on that larger obligation.”

The letter comes on the heels of the new public interest research (11/16/07) from Montana State University Billings finding that more than half of Montanans consider global warming a serious problem - 56 percent, in fact - said global warming was a very serious or serious problem. The telephone poll of 412 adults was conducted Nov. 8-11 and had a margin of error of 5 percentage points. Also on Saturday (11/17), the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned of the grave dangers posed by global warming in its hardest-hitting report yet. Delegates from more than 140 countries came to agreement on the document, which summarizes three previous reports.

"Birders and wildlife enthusiasts across the state are very concerned about what a warming world will bring, especially to wetland associated birds," said Amy Cilimburg, Missoula-based global warming organizer with Montana Audubon.  "These folks are reducing their own carbon footprints, and they are ready for an energy bill that is done right and done this year."

Whether the bill will be a modest step forward or a historic one hinges on Congress adopting both the House’s boost for renewable energy sources like wind and solar power, and the Senate’s long overdue increase in auto fuel economy standards.  Currently the Senate version of the bill has no expansion for renewable energy, known as a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES), and the House version does not include an increase in Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) to 35 miles per gallon by 2020.  These and other key provisions are a focus of the groups’ letter to Congress asking for achievable compromises carefully crafted and passed by each chamber that should be adopted as is, without any further weakening.  Such measures have long been recognized as essential elements of any energy policy.

“Montana’s farm and ranch families deserve a fair energy policy, said Clint McRae a rancher on Rosebud Creek south of Colstrip and member of Northern Plains Resource Council.

“Currently, the oil and gas industry is only concerned with their bottom line. This energy bill changes that.  We ask Senator’s Tester and Baucus and Representative Rehberg to support the oil and gas provisions in the 2007 energy bill. With their support, Montanan’s will have a bill that protects land owners, water resources, and promote renewable sources of energy.

Clean, renewable electricity can be the power source of the future if we make the investment nationally.  Already, Montana and 23 other states have enacted their own versions of a RES.  State legislators have rightly decided that renewables like wind and solar are key in order to reduce global warming, and cut back on our dependence on oil while creating new jobs. What everyone will especially like is that it will lower energy bills, saving as much as $18 billion by 2020.

“As a student, it seems that Congress has an opportunity to change the way we get our energy, reduce global warming pollution, and invest in future generations by passing a meaningful Energy Bill,” said Annie Studer, a University of Montana senior who is also an intern with MontPIRG.

In the coming days or weeks, Congress will make its final decisions on an energy bill that will promote conservation, cleaner fuel and power, and more energy independence for America. 

The letter can be read on-line at:  http://www.mtvoters.org/system/files/final_MTenergy_signon_letter20071115.pdf