Earlier this month our local utility company Flathead Electric Cooperative (FEC) was selected to participate in a national initiative designed to increase grid resiliency and reliability while ultimately lowering power supply costs.

When having a discourse on climate change in Northwest Montana, it is impossible to ignore the economic and environmental impacts that rising temperatures and decreased snowpack could have on our community.

Cold callers are reaching out to property owners offering free solar panels to interested parties, as well as claiming that legitimate solar companies are currently mandated by the federal government to offer free solar panels and installation. In all reality, no profitable company would be able to market free solar panels to customers and the federal government has by no means mandated them to do so.

We knew we wanted to be a part of this project when we learned of the farm’s continued commitment to folks with diverse abilities, autism and special needs. Due to the fact that the farm is on the Montana Veterans Home campus, the farm also provides a number of opportunities for veterans to spend time with the animals or simply work outside.  

In the past year, our company has more than doubled in number of installs; a true reflection of the growing appetite for renewable energy systems here in Montana. We have installed solar arrays from Polebridge to Libby and none of it would be possible without the community around us, both near and far.

In a time in which catastrophic climate events are growing in severity and frequency, the general concern for environmentalism and growth in sustainability industries has never been stronger in the United States. Yet here in Montana, a state defined by its natural beauty in a spiritual and economic sense, many law-makers and political leaders are choosing to ignore the crisis at hand. In this case, proposed House Bill 643 could severely impact the growing solar economy within our state by limiting the economic benefit of investing in solar for residential and commercial property owners alike. 

As discussed in a previous blog entry, the US Department of Agriculture’s REAP Grant Program (Rural Energy for America Program) allows agricultural producers and rural small business owners the ability to receive grant money for investment in renewable energy systems. This year, the potential funding available to applicants has risen to an unprecedented level.

Here in the state of Montana, renewable energy systems have been growing in popularity for residential and commercial property owners. In our most recent blog, we explored how the renewable energy economy in Montana has continued to grow over the past few years. More specifically though, the solar energy industry has grown at an incredible rate within the Big Sky state. Montana now has enough solar statewide to power an estimated 17,000 homes throughout the state. With so many people choosing to make the jump to solar, we decided to explore the top five reasons why pursuing solar could be the right choice for you.

Still, in spite of the state’s storied relationship with fossil fuel extraction, Montana is investing in renewable energy more than ever before. According to the Energy Information Administration, Montana ranks 10th among all states in percentage of electricity generated from renewable sources. Below we will examine a few of the ways in which Montana is investing in renewable energy, and has some of the highest green energy potential of all states.

When the United States Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, they changed the landscape of sustainability in the United States forever. Not only will the act serve as a stepping stone for the United States to become a leading figure in the fight against climate change, the act will also make sustainable energy solutions much more accessible for the average American household. Below we will examine the implications of the act, and why there has never been a better time to pursue a solar project for your home.

For the overwhelming majority of businesses, both big and small, the bottom line is of top concern. So when it comes to local businesses considering the viability of a photovoltaic solar system install, they often have to weigh the benefits of investing in a sustainable energy source as well as long-term savings versus the initial cost of the install. Fortunately, there are a number of programs that can help to offset the financial burden of investing in renewable energy, most notably the REAP Grant program.

Investing in solar energy can initially be a daunting task for residential and commercial property owners. The upfront cost of solar energy systems can be significant, even with the help of grant programs and tax credits. As a leading solar provider in northwest Montana, we have found that the overwhelming majority of our clients have multiple reasons for investing in solar, ranging from an urge to help the environment to seeking out less energy dependency to the grid.

In the summer of 2021, Mariah Joos, owner of Nelson’s Hardware in Whitefish, Montana realized her dream of utilizing renewable energy sources as means of powering her store. Joos, whose family has owned and operated Nelson’s for generations, had always viewed solar panels as a possibility for the store and in August of last summer, the store was officially utilizing solar as a sustainable energy solution.