Local Energy Efficiency on the Cheap

Climate change day happened on Feb. 2 and many bills having to do with energy saving and the greening of Montana’s economy were heard, but bills having to do with energy efficiency keep coming. House Bill 361 sponsored by Brady Wiseman (D – Bozeman) looks to create energy conservation districts throughout the state to make funding of green projects easier.

Rep. Wiseman said this legislation creates a system of “100% local control that is 100% voluntary.” There are already programs set up to help out larger businesses and state agencies and this is “a way to get money loaned to private property owners for energy efficiency projects.”

The bill authorizes local governments to issue general obligation and revenue bonds to finance loans to owners within an energy improvement district. The bonds would be obligations of the local government, not the state, which would help to bring more local control into the process. Proponents of the bill included city and county governments and local builders. Lewis and Clark County commissioner Derek Brown has been working for 35 years as an engineer and builder and has spent roughly the past 20 focusing on energy efficiency programs. He said he’s “looking forward to the opportunity to be a part of these energy efficiency programs.”

Anna Rosenberry, the finance director for the City of Bozeman, said “we’re supporting this bill because it is an important step in supporting our local businesses.” She went on to mention many projects already planned throughout the community by both local businesses and private citizens. “These projects provide true energy savings and financial savings for everyone,” she said.

Rep. Wiseman described this bill as a “self-reliant and self-sufficient way for people to pay themselves” when it comes to increasing the energy efficiency of their homes.