Responsible & Reliable Clean Energy Supply
<< Return to Focus Areas < Return to Solutions
Support Policies to Expand Renewable Energy and Just Transition Initiatives (2.D.3.)
Status Indicators: 
Complete | 
In Progress| 
Not Yet Started
The City will proactively plan to advocate for clean energy and just transition initiatives in the Montana Legislature and Public Service Commission. A just transition focuses on policies that enable greater fairness for and input from workers and communities that are negatively affected by the transition away from fossil fuels, especially low-income communities that may have dealt with environmental injustice as a result of living near polluting fossil fuel infrastructure.
About the Data
The electricity Bozeman purchases from NorthWestern Energy contributes 27% of Bozeman's total community emissions. This is based on the carbon dioxide produced per Megawatt hour multiplied by the total Megawatt hours of electricity used by the Bozeman community each year. Similar to measuring the efficiency of a vehicle with miles per gallon (MPG), monitoring emissions intensity, alongside total utility emissions, represents an important variable in monitoring progress towards emissions goals.
The purple bars in the graph show the total annual emissions generated by NorthWestern Energy for their entire service area. The yellow trend line tracks NorthWestern Energy's CO2e emissions intensity. The data for 2021 and 2022 represents Bozeman's near-term targets that are needed to help achieve a 26% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 and carbon neutrality by 2050.
- MMT CO2e = Million Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent
- MT CO2e / Net MWh = Metric Tons Carbon Dioxide Equivalent per Net Megawatt hour
- Data source: NorthWestern Energy's annual EEI - ESG/Sustainability Report for Montana generation owned and long term contracts, excluding market purchases
- Clean energy is identified as a top City Commission priority and was included as one of four key issues in the adopted Legislative Priorities and Agenda for the 2023 Montana Legislative Session.
- The City monitored and participated in the 2023 Legislative Session to protect and advance clean energy opportunities for residents and businesses focusing on topics ranging from energy issues, electric vehicle taxation, plastic pollution, building codes, and the Montana Environmental Policy Act.
- The City of Bozeman supported the adoption and advancement of C-PACE financing (see 1.A.6) as a fiscal policy that supports clean energy for Montana businesses.
- A member of the sustainability division will be on the Legislative Core Team for the 2025 Legislative Session. Priorities include the Green Power Program, net metering, EV/solar ready building codes, energy efficient building codes, and fair EV taxes.
