Sustainability and Climate Change

100% Clean electricity for the Missoula urban area by 2030: In 2019, the Missoula County Commissioners and the Missoula City Council adopted a joint resolution that establishes a goal of 100% clean electricity for the Missoula urban area by 2030. As part of this effort, the County and City are working with NorthWestern Energy, the City of Bozeman and community partners to increase the supply of renewable energy and decrease demand via energy efficiency. Missoula County is also active at the state level on issues of energy policy and regulation that have implications for our ability to achieve 100% clean electricity. Missoula County has taken many steps in the journey toward 100% clean electricity, including:

Memorandum of Understanding with NorthWestern Energy: NorthWestern Energy supplies 95% of the electricity consumed in the Missoula urban area. Following the adoption of 100% clean electricity, the County and City entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with NorthWestern Energy. The MOU, signed in June 2020, committed the three parties to work together to advance the clean electricity goal and requiring them to jointly develop an Implementation Plan that identifies specific projects and programs to be pursued along with timelines for each. The implementation plan was released in February 2021 for public comment. A summary of public comment can be found here.
Green Power Program: The Green Power Program (formerly known as a renewable rate option or green tariff) is a program that would allow NorthWestern Energy customers to support and benefit from a new source of renewable energy in Montana, such as a new wind or solar farm. Local governments, businesses and residents would then have the option to subscribe to pay a special rate and receive a portion of their energy supply from this renewable energy source. By subscribing to the program, customers would pay the costs of the new renewable energy source over time and receive the benefits it produces, including the environmental benefits and the clean energy’s economic value on the market. The lead communities of the City of Missoula, Missoula County and the City of Bozeman have been working with NorthWestern Energy for the past several years to develop the Green Power Program. Developing the program is a key strategy for these lead communities to reach their respective 100% clean electricity goals. Now, these communities have reached an important milestone by requesting their elected officials adopt the term sheet negotiated with NorthWestern. While non-binding, the term sheet serves as the framework for how the program will work going forward. If the term sheet is adopted, the lead communities will consider entering into binding agreements to submit to the Public Service Commission. The Public Service Commission will then need to approve the Green Power Program before it’s available to the public. Following approval, the next step would be for the lead communities and NorthWestern to develop an RFP and solicit proposals for the new renewable energy project. Once the project is selected, local government and commercial and industrial customers will subscribe to purchase electricity from it. Learn more about this program here.

Carbon neutrality in government operations: Commissioners approved a resolution in 2019 adopting a goal of carbon neutrality for Missoula County government operations by 2035, with an intermediate goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 30% below 2016 levels by 2025. County staff are developing a plan to achieve this goal, which will involve improving the efficiency of County buildings and the County vehicle fleet and incorporating renewable energy into county operations.

Solarizing the detention Facility: The Missoula County Detention Facility consumes the most electricity of all County buildings. In November 2021, the County installed a solar array at the detention facility to provide a clean electricity during daylight hours to offset this consumption. This is the largest roof top solar array in the state, and it will offset about 20% of the building usage. The array is expected to save Missoula County $400,000 over the life of the array.
Energy Efficient Building Policy: In March 2021, Missoula County adopted an Energy Efficient Building Policy for new construction and major renovation projects. It requires that County owned buildings invest in energy efficiency, electrification, and/or renewable energy to meet energy use intensity targets.

Water heater rebate: Residents throughout Missoula County are eligible to receive a $500 rebate for replacing water heaters in their homes with certain energy-efficient alternatives, thanks to a new rebate program Missoula County and the City of Missoula launched in 2023.

Residents who buy and install qualifying heat pump water heaters can apply online to receive the rebate by submitting proof of purchase and installation. Heat pump technology is more energy efficient than traditional electric or propane appliances because it extracts heat from an external source instead of generating it. Heat pump technology can be found in clothes dryers, water heaters and mini-split heaters and air conditioners. A list of more than 500 heat pump water heaters that qualify for this rebate are available online.

The City and County have $40,000 to distribute by 2025 through funding the Montana Department of Environmental Quality provided. $20,000 is reserved for county residents who live outside of city limits, and the remaining $20,000 is reserved for city residents. The project is supported by the nonprofit Climate Smart Missoula and is a part of the Electrify Missoula campaign, which aims to help the City and County reach their goal of 100% clean electricity for the Missoula urban area by 2030.

Building(s) for the Future: Missoula County is a partner with Climate Smart Missoula and the City of Missoula in the Building(s) for the Future initiative, with the goal of making Missoula homes and buildings healthier, more affordable, more comfortable and more energy efficient. As part of this effort, Electrify Missoula was launched to transition Missoula away from fossil fuels and towards a healthier, more affordable clean energy future.

Climate Ready Missoula: Missoula County, the City of Missoula and Climate Smart Missoula are leading a countywide effort to implement the Climate Ready Missoula plan to prepare our communities for the impacts of climate change, including reduced low elevation snowpack, earlier spring snowmelt, longer wildfire smoke seasons, more frequent and intense droughts and wildfires and impacts to agriculture, recreation and human health.

Wildfire Smoke Ready Week: Together with Missoula Public Health Climate Smart Missoula, United Way of Missoula County, and other community partners, Missoula County has observed “Wildfire Smoke Ready Week” every year to increase awareness of the health impacts of wildfire smoke and the simple steps everyone can take to protect their health.

Commercial Property Assessed Capital Enhancement (C-PACE) program: In February 2022, the commissioners approved a resolution of intent to establish a county-wide C-PACE program. This allows commercial property owners to invest in energy efficiency, water conservation and renewable energy systems and pay those investments back through an assessment on their property taxes. Owners of commercial, industrial, agricultural and multifamily properties of at least four units are eligible to participate. There is no cost or impact on any property owner who do not choose to participate in the program, and participating commercial property owners work with private lenders to finance projects, which are then repaid through their property taxes.

Missoula Clean Energy Workforce Coalition: This coalition, supported by Missoula County, the City of Missoula, Climate Smart Missoula, Missoula Economic Partnership and Mountain Home Missoula, will create a pre-apprentice training program for low-income women and women of color to get into the clean energy field. The coalition plans to help those taking part in the training with stipends for childcare, transportation and mentorship. This coalition started in June 2023 and was awarded a series of grants, leading up to winning second place in a national U.S. Department of Energy competition, which awarded them $50,000. This program will also receive help from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Good Jobs, Great Cities Academy, which has the goal of “advancing city efforts for workforce growth in the infrastructure, manufacturing and clean energy fields by building more pathways into good jobs through skill development.” Learn more.

Food Policy Advisory Board: This city-county advisory board works to increase local food security, promote sustainable agriculture, build regional self-reliance and climate resiliency, and connect food access programs to local, nutritious food.

Mountain Line support: Missoula County contributes $20,000 a year as a Mountain Line Zero-Fare partner to help support clean, sustainable transportation in our communities. Mountain Line serves the urban area as well as East Missoula.

Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority: Missoula County led efforts to establish the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority, which is working to return passenger rail to southern Montana. Passenger rail through Montana’s most populated communities would provide options for cleaner, more efficient transportation. Learn more at https://www.bigskyrail.org/

Aquatic Invasive Species District: The Missoula County Aquatic Invasive Species District is the first and only county AIS district in Montana. Created in 2020, the purpose of the district is to coordinate the prevention, monitoring and management of AIS within the county as well as educate people living and recreating within Missoula County on the identification and impacts of aquatic invasive species to the environment and our economy. Prevention includes setting up watercraft inspection stations located at major travel corridors and important watersheds. To monitor, the AIS district works with partners such as the Clearwater Resource Council, Swan Valley Connections, Blackfoot Challenge and Fish, Wildlife and Parks to collect water and plant samples to see if there are indications of invasive species present in that waterbody.

Composting at the Western Montana Fair: The 2024 Western Montana Fair successfully diverted 82% of its waste from landfills, marking a significant achievement in the fair's ongoing commitment to sustainability. This milestone surpasses last year's 74% diversion rate, demonstrating continuous improvement in the fair's “Green Team” for environmental stewardship. The Green Team initiative is a collaboration with the Missoula County Fairgrounds, the Department of Ecology & Extension and Home ReSource. During the week-long event, a total of 58,830 pounds of waste were diverted from landfills. This includes 6,780 pounds of recycling and a remarkable 52,050 pounds of compostable materials. The composting efforts alone accounted for 73% of the total waste, underscoring the fair's emphasis on eco-friendly practices.