Montana Legislature
The 2009 Legislature currently has ended its session. The following list identifies bills related to the energy and environment that the Legislature considered.
HB 5: Long-range building appropriations -- include energy conservation
Sponsor: Sesso, D-Butte
This bill revises laws related to capital projects, including creating an energy conservation capital projects account; authorize community colleges to participate in the energy conservation program; require payment of interest on energy conservation project costs; and require the inclusion of energy savings in the executive budget.
Status: Became law
HB 20: Create weatherization account using oil and gas production tax|
Sponsor: Dickenson, D- Great Falls
This bill would create a weatherization account using the oil and gas production tax.
Status:
Committee vote failed; probably dead
HB 27: Revise universal system benefit laws
Sponsor: Wiseman, D-Bozeman
This bill permanently extends Montana 's "universal systems benefit" charge that helps fund low-income energy assistance, energy conservation, and renewable energy projects.
Status: Became law
HB 98: Revise energy performance contracting for state buildings
Sponsor: D. Barrett, D-Missoula
This bill revises energy performance contracting for state buildings.
Status: Became law
HB 179: Revise renewable portfolio standard
Sponsor: Villa, D-Anaconda
This bill revises the renewable portfolio standard.
Status: Became law
HB 207:
Revise renewable portfolio standard for size of community projects
Sponsor: Klock, R-Harlowton
This bill amends the defintion of "community renewable energy project" under the Montana Renewable Power Production and Rural Economic Development Act to include an eligible renewable renewable resource that is less than or equal to 25 megawatts.
Status:
Became law
HB 208:
Revise renewable portfolio standard for compliance dates for community projects
Sponsor: O'Hara, R-Great Falls
This bill extends a deadline for public utilities to comply with the community renewable energy requirements of the Renewable Portfolio Standard.
Status: Became law
HB 254: Monitor and report on greenhouse gas emissions
Sponsor: Phillips, D-Bozeman
This bill would require the Montana Board of Environmental Review to adopt rules to require the reporting of greenhouse gas emissions by all sources that emit significant levels of greenhouse gases each year.
Status: probably dead
HB 255: Increase Montana renewable energy portfolio standard
Sponsor: Phillips, D-Bozeman
This bill would extend and gradually raise Montana's Renewable Energy Standard to require utilities to purchase 20% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020 and 25% by 2025. It also would expand the definition of renewable resources to include compressed air.
Status: probably dead
HB343: Renewable Resource Standard for public utlities and electricity suppliers
Sponsor: Art Noonan, D-Butte
This bill revises definitions for the administration of the Renewable Resource Standard for public utilities and electricity suppliers; and allows eligible renewable resources owned by a public utility to be used to comply with the community renewable energy project requirements in the Renewable Resource Standard.
Status: Became law
HB 483: Revising laws governing board of environmental review related to energy projects
Sponsor: Llew Jones, R-Conrad
This bill revises environmental laws related to energy development projects, revise board of environmental review hearing request procedures, and modify the expiration date requirements for a permit or license under the air quality laws. It would restrict the public's ability to challenge agency decisions on permits for energy development projects.
Status: Became law
HB 491: Revise small power production facilities law
Sponsor: Brady Wiseman
This bill would revise small power production laws, requiring utilities to contract in good faith and in accordance with federal regulations for the purchase of electricity from qualifying small power production facilities; requiring the commission to determine avoided costs and standard rates; and providing penalties for a utility's non-compliance with small power production laws.
Status: Probably dead
LC 194: Require BER standards for carbon dioxide capture for certain facilities
Sponsor: Erickson, D-Missoula
This bill would require all new coal-fired plants to capture and sequester, or otherwise offset, 100% of their carbon dioxide emissions.
Status: Probably dead
LC 713: Energy efficiency fund for K-12 schools
Sponsor: Grinde, D-Billings
This bill would create a fund to pay for meeting the energy-efficiency needs of Montana 's school buildings.
Status: Probably dead
LC 1033: Energy efficiency weatherization standard
Sponsor: Noonan, D-Butte
This bill would establish an energy efficiency standard for the state's largest electric and natural gas utilities.
Status: Probably dead
SB 27: Require report on conservation measures in transportation sector
Sponsor: Hawks, D-Bozeman
This bill would require that report be created on conservation measures undertaken the in transportation sector.
Status: Probably dead
SB 33: Include certain biomass generation facilities in renewable power act
Sponsor: Lewis, R-Helena
This bill would amend the definition of "community renewable energy project" under the Montana Renewable Power Production and Rural Economic Development Act to include certain biomass facilities.
Status: Probably dead
SB 37: Revise income tax credit for energy conservation expenditures
Sponsor: Kauffman, D-Helena
This bill would increase the tax credit that homeowners receive for implementing energy-efficiency measures.
Status: Probably dead
SB 49: Energy efficiency standards for construction of state buildings
Sponsor: Wanzenreid, D-Missoula
This bill requires all new State buildings and major renovations at existing State buildings to exceed the current State energy conservation code by 20%.
Status: Became law
SB 66: Sequestration standards for carbon dioxide
Sponsor: Erickson, D-Missoula
This bill would require the State to establish standards for the geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide. It also would clarify that surface owners own the pore space that would be used for geologic sequestration and would establish liability for damage to the environment and public health caused by geologic sequestration failures.
Status: Probably dead
SB 144: Building standards for residences in wildland-urban interface
Sponsor: Laible, R-Darby
This bill would establish building standards for residences in wildland-urban interface.
Status: Probably dead
SB 180: Establish emission standards
Sponsor: Erickson, D-Missoula
This bill would require Montana to join 11other states in adopting California 's clean car standards. These standards require significant reductions in vehicle emissions from new cars.
Status: Probably dead
SB257: Revise definition of renewable energy resource ( RES )
Sponsor: Keane, D-Butte
The RES requires that 15% of most utilities' electricity supply come from renewable sources by 2015. Currently, existing hydroelectric dams are excluded from the RES . This bill would allow owners of existing hydroelectric dams to increase the electricity output at their dams and classify the extra energy as renewable.
Status: Probably dead
SB403: Revise electricity laws
Sponsor: Gebhardt, R-Roundup
This bill would increase the time the Public Service Commission has to act on a petition from a utility or qualifying small power production facility; and allow electricity from an eligible renewable resource purchased by a public utility from a qualifying small power production facility to be used as an alternative to meeting the community renewable energy requirements of the Renewable Resources Standard.
Status: Probably dead
SB498: Regulate carbon sequestration
Sponsor: Keith Bales, R-Otter
This bill regulates carbon sequestration, requiring a permit for a carbon dioxide injection well; authorize the Board of Oil and Gas Conservation to regulate the injection of carbon dioxide ; affirm the dominance of a mineral estate; and establish fees for administering a carbon sequestration program and long-term oversight of wells.
Status: Became law
For details on these and other bills, please visit http://leg.mt.gov/css/default.asp
