Virtual event to focus on opportunities, challenges in providing clean, affordable power across the state
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 2, 2021
BILLINGS, Mont. – Northern Plains Resource Council is hosting Montana’s Energy Future Summit on October 1. The daylong, virtual event will feature expert speakers from across the country and Montana. Issues to be explored at the summit include clean energy innovations, the future of differing energy sources, how energy is distributed to communities, and how regular people can get involved in decisions about energy use and energy projects.
“Montana is at a crossroads right now with respect to our energy landscape,” said Edward Barta of Billings, a Northern Plains board member who is helping organize the event. “We have some big questions to tackle, and we don’t claim to have all of the answers. The Energy Summit provides a space for us to come together and wrestle with these topics as friends, neighbors, and community members who understand that the decisions we make today will have a big impact on future generations.”
The event will be held over the Zoom platform and is structured into three broad sessions: building regenerative economies during Montana’s energy transition, the role of power companies in our energy future, and the future of renewable energy. Guest speakers and panelists will lead sessions and participate in discussions on topics including what will happen to coal communities in this changing energy market,and how mining and nuclear energy factor into the future of renewable energy.
The event’s keynote speaker is John Farrell, Co-Director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Farrell will discuss how power companies across the country are breaking the mold and implementing groundbreaking changes to the way they do business.
“We are excited to have so many knowledgeable and impassioned experts addressing such a breadth of issues as we work to achieve a clean, affordable, and just energy future for all Montanans,” said Joan Kresich of Livingston, a Northern Plains board member also involved in planning the event.
“We can’t simply measure the cost of energy by what we see on a power bill – we also have to consider any costs to our air, water, communities, and climate,” continues Kresich. “These are complicated matters that require focused conversation and bold visioning. We have worked hard to create an event that allows for an expansive exchange of ideas from many points of view.”
Montana’s Energy Future Summit is scheduled for Friday, October 1 from 9 AM to 4:45 PM over Zoom. The event is open to the public, and the cost to attend is $20. For details on topics, sessions, and registration information, visit NorthernPlains.org/Energy-
