This article in the Missoulian is an interesting piece on Montana's plan for new energy development. Environmentalists/Obstructionist have long criticized the governor for not being more aggressive in shutting down existing development through increased regulation, taxation and penalties. But does having MEIC as an enemy make you a champion of energy development? Hardly.
Although the world is currently experiencing rapid growth in demand for energy, and Montana is capable of being a huge part of the solution through wind generation, coal, biofuels and more, we have done little as a state to increase the number of new energy facilities, projects or developments. Sure, some operations have been able to boost their production, but I'm talking about new development. Bull Mountain's coal-to-liquids plan is having to start from scratch with its permitting and it will take years to get that up and running. A wind project in Glasgow is now going to be built in California. Who knows if Great Falls will ever see a new coal-fired plant.
The new development must be done by business. Business (as accurately stated by Gary Evans, chief executive of GreenHunter Energy, Inc. in yesterday's post) will go where it's easiest to do business. Montana, when it comes to permitting new resource development, can be a tough place to do business. Companies who are interested in dotting all their i's and crossing all their t's still have no predictability in the permitting process time line or final outcome.
The administration appears to have "triangulated" an energy position between obstructionists and energy developers: promotion of clean energy development including "clean and green" coal facilities, but not coal-fired generating plants. The end result is that Montana is missing the boat on new energy development while surrounding states like North Dakota and Wyoming build new facilities and expand development. For example, the increase in Wyoming's coal production last year was greater than Montana's total coal production. We have to do more to make Montana open for business, especially for new energy development.
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