City of Missoula gives first stamp on Green Power Program agreement

Martin Kidston

(Missoula Current) The race to establish Montana's first green tariff earned the backing of the Missoula City Council on Wednesday, which voted to authorize the mayor to sign the agreement shaping the program.

The measure will receive final consideration on Monday in coordination with Missoula County.

The Lead Community Agreement outlines the roles and responsibilities of the program's three leading partners – the city and county of Missoula and the city of Bozeman – as they now prepare to bring the program to the Montana Public Service Commission for approval.

“This is a significant milestone in the effort to work with NorthWestern Energy to deliver more sustainable green power for our communities,” said Missoula Mayor Andrea Davis. “We're at a point now where we're poised to work with NorthWestern to get the proposal in front of the Public Service Commission. We have a real opportunity to start the long trajectory of actually getting a power plant built with sustainable resources, whether that be wind or solar.”

In 2019, the city and county of Missoula both set a goal of achieving 100% clean electricity by 2030. While they've taken steps toward that aim, progress has been challenging given the lack of energy options needed to reach their ultimate goal.

Anne Geiger, the city's strategic initiatives manager, said the Green Power Program would mark a big step forward.

“The Green Power Program alone isn't enough to meet our goal, but it's the most significant opportunity available to us” she said. “Early calculations show that participating would bring the Missoula community 10% closer to our goal. It's an important piece of the puzzle.”

Shannon Anderson, the city's energy specialist, said green power programs already exist in most U.S. states, leaving Montana as one of the last without the option available to utility customers.

As proven elsewhere, she said the programs help drive the construction of new renewable energy resources, making the electricity available largely to commercial and industrial buyers. Opting in is voluntary and standard utility customers aren't impacted by the program.

“The program is a voluntary program offered by a utility allowing customers to subscribe to renewable electricity from a specific project through a special utility rate, or tariff, that's on their power bill,” said Anderson. “It's an opt-in bill program, not a tax. These programs operate in a way where the costs and benefits are fire-walled within the tariff itself. There's no impact to anyone who chooses not to participate in the program.”

The path leading to the Lead Community Agreement has been long and arduous, dating back to 2019 and the options report released that year. The next year, the city and county signed their resolution detailing their 100% clean electricity goals.

Later that year, the Public Service Commission also directed NW Energy to explore a green tariff and in 2021, Missoula and Bozeman entered into an agreement to pursue the green tariff.

Former Missoula City Council member Brian von Lossberg has helped push the effort forward over the last eight years.

“I hope you don't let the constraints of the renewable energy landscape today hold us back from laying a foundation for success in the future,” he told current City Council members. “This program is about freedom and choice. It's an opportunity to express your values by a choice you make to participate.”

While program details are still pending, any future renewable energy platform would be initially capped at 50 megawatts. NorthWestern Energy would manage the utility along with the Missoula and Bozeman.

The program would be open to local governments and businesses by subscription. An opportunity for residential customers living in the Lead communities may also exist, so long as it was authorized by their local government.

Other municipalities could join down the road.

“We don't know at this time what type of renewable energy resource we're talking about, or where the facility will be, other than it's size-capped and will be located in Montana,” said Svein Newman, the county's climate action program manager.