By Ed Kemmick Compared with the coal-fired power plant in Colstrip, the Huntley Generating Station in Tonawanda, N.Y., was not all that large. At its height, when all six units of the Huntley plant were operating, the power station could generate up to 598 megawatts of electricity—compared to a capacity of 2,094 megawatts at Colstrip’s […]
WITH AUDIO Eric Tegethoff Public News Service November 16, 2016 BILLINGS, Mont. – The ancient plains of Montana once hosted herds of animals that grazed the land. Now, cattle and other domesticated animals do that work. According to former environmental lawyer and author Nicolette Hahn Niman, the planet actually is grazed far less than it […]
By Northern Plains Resource Council Today, the Obama Administration issued final standards to reduce flaring and venting associated with oil and gas development on federal and tribal lands. Northern Plains Resource Council has been pushing the Bureau of Land Management to address flaring and venting since 2012. The BLM’s rules will require oil and gas […]
Play Audio in Browser Window By Eric Tegethoff Public News Service Nov. 14, 2016 BILLINGS, Mont. – Although the fate of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan is up in the air now that Donald Trump has been elected president, at least part of Colstrip’s coal-fired power plant is still likely to close by 2022. […]
Northern Plains Resource Council Annual Meeting Nov. 18-19 1 – 8 p.m. (Nov. 18) 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. (Nov. 19) Northern Hotel 19 N. Broadway, Billings Despite popular myths, grazing cattle is a necessary part of maintaining the ecosystem, according to Nicolette Hahn Niman, the keynote speaker for the Northern Plains Resource Council’s 45th […]
A proposal to provide advance notification of oil and gas drilling proposals to neighbors is being discussed by the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation. For over two years, the board has been considering Montanans requests to provide valuable protections and basic information for landowners in oil and gas development areas. This new rule […]
Northern Plains Resource Council BILLINGS, Mont. — Twenty-three citizens in Halloween costumes ranging from a zombie ballerina to Sully, the monster from the movie Monsters Inc., delivered a petition with hundreds of signatures today to U.S. House Rep. Ryan Zinke’s office in downtown Billings. Their message? The proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal is SCARY! The […]
Monday, October 31 1:00-1:25 p.m. Rep. Zinke’s Office (222 N 32nd Street) Billings Several members of Northern Plains Resource Council will be in full costume on Halloween Day while delivering a petition to Rep. Ryan Zinke urging him to vote “no” when the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal is presented to Congress. There isn’t much scarier than […]
I was shocked to read the front-page Billings Gazette article on Oct. 11, about NorthWestern Energy’s plans to build 500 to 600 megawatts of natural gas power plants starting in 2019. Unfortunately, NorthWestern Energy continues to overlook the cleanest, cheapest, and fastest way to meet Montana’s energy needs — energy efficiency. The least costly power […]
An innovative and rapidly growing method of enabling homeowners and businesses to finance clean energy and energy efficiency upgrades could soon be a possibility in communities across the state of Montana, provided the 2017 Montana Legislature passes legislation to enable it. The innovation, called PACE loans, helps to remove the substantial upfront investment required to […]