In Conclusion

With several thousand megawatts of new coal-fired power plants proposed in Montana and with the governor’s intention to develop a large-scale coal-to-liquids industry in the state, it is fair to say that Montana has officially entered its second major coal boom. Thirty-five years ago, a U.S. Bureau of Reclamation report recommended that Montana develop more than 200,000 megawatts of coal-fired generating capacity to meet the growing energy demands of the Midwest. Determined not to be the “boiler room of the nation,” Montanans reacted by passing a series of progressive laws that protected communities and the natural environment from the worst of the impacts.

In recent years, however, the policy response has been quite different. The coal severance tax has long since been whittled away, the Major Facility Siting Act has been all but repealed, and even the Constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment has come under attack. But the central issues are still the same. Does Montana wish to become an energy colony for the rapidly growing economies of distant states (primarily the Southwest and West Coast states this time). If so, at what cost?

MEIC’s mission is “to protect and restore Montana’s natural environment.” If the price to be paid for fueling America’s ever-increasing demand for energy is converting eastern Montana into a national sacrifice zone, then that price is simply too high. Fortunately, there are plentiful opportunities for breaking this country’s addiction to foreign (and domestic) fossil fuels—ones that can invigorate the economy while at the same time protecting public health and environmental quality. To pick a single example, meaningful fuel economy standards for new cars could take a deep bite out of the percentage of imported oil, while improving air quality and saving commuters money. Perhaps the most important exercise is to consider how much progress could be made if the time, money, and effort currently being used to try to make coal “clean” were redirected to deploying energy resources already known to be clean, affordable, and commercially available. More than just a thought experiment, it should be the cornerstone of our energy policy.