More about I-187:

(*) stared items below indicate improvements that were not in  previous (I-180 & I-184) initiatives.  The newer I-187 initiative generally revises energy and taxation law by:

1. *requiring a public utility to meet with any governmental entity setting a renewable resource standard exceeding the amount of eligible renewable resources required by the initiative to determine how the higher standard will be met in that government’s area (§8(15)).
2. *allowing governments, churches, and nonprofits to participate in 250 KW net metering systems, something not possible under current law; (I-187, § 22(23)(e)). This improves on  2017, HB 34 which only helped governments until even that watered-down version was tabled in Committee.
3. *creating neighborhood renewable energy facilities and expanding the area where renewables can be located to be 10 miles (rather than 5) away from customers; (I-187, § 22(19))
4. *expanding net metering capability and authorizing aggregated net metering; (I-187, § 23(3)(f))
5. *levying replacement taxes on each kilowatt of electricity produced to offset coal severance tax and royalty revenue reductions so schools, libraries, and water projects are not disadvantaged by the inevitable transition away from coal-fired power; (I-187, § 14(5) through (9))
6. *limiting most replacement taxes to 90% of savings accruing from the switch to no-fuel-cost electricity so consumers retain some financial benefit of the transition while we replace school funding, etc.; (I-187, § 15(3)(b))
7. *requiring grid safety and prevailing wage rates for those installing renewable equipment; (I-187,  § 7(10(c), § 9(3)(b), § 22(6), § 22(23(d), § 22(19)(g)), §23(3)(c), §24(1)(a) & 24(3)(c)
8. *allocating forfeited net metering energy credits to low-income utility customers to help with electricity bills; (I-187, § 23(4) & (5))
9. requiring cooperative utilities to mail-poll members every 4 years to see if they approve adoption of initiative standards and net metering; (I-187, §§ 11 & (12))
10. requiring fixed buyouts in renewable system lease-purchases so lessees do not have to pay more than once for a renewable energy system; (I-187, § 7(5) & 7(15))
11. prohibiting rate increases beyond 2% annually for costs caused by the mandates, a rate-cap working in Colorado to maintain low transition costs without slowing transition if those costs should rise above the cost of fossil fuel generation again. (I-187, § 13)
12. *adding provisions to preserve the present practice of requiring renewable energy be added before legacy hydro counts toward meeting and RPS if a future RPS exceeds 80%; (I-187, § 8(4)) and
13. *allowing renewable energy credits (RECs) to be sold separately from energy and allowing RECs purchased from homeowners and community renewable energy facilities to count toward meeting a public utility’s RPS goal, something that will incentivize distributed energy. (I-187, § 8(2))

During the 4 months of signature gathering when we tried to qualify a 2016 ballot issue, I-180 received 34% of the signatures it needed to qualify. More signatures than that were collected for I-184, when we had 7 months to get support. We are starting much earlier this time in warmer weather. If 25,468 Montana signatures are gathered by June 19, 2020, it almost certain that this improved I-187 initiative will make the 2020 ballot.  Click the ABOUT menu (above right side) for a  fuller explanation and copy of the I-187. And you may also join a support group and follow progress on Facebook.

Eighty percent clean energy is at least the level climate scientists say we must reach by 2035 to slow global warming. Montana  now only requires 15% in 2015.

CLEAN ELECTRICITY SAVES CONSUMERS MONEY Contracts for wind power are being signed for 2.2¢/kWh; under 4¢/kWh for power from solar collectors.  Electricity generated from coal cannot compete because it costs more than 7.4¢/kwh.

An October 2017 US Government Accounting Office Report requested by two bi-partisan US Senators, concludes: The extreme weather events of the past decade that scientists believe were exacerbated by climate change added more than $350 billion in costs to taxpayers. Inaction threatens to add $12-$35 billion more each year by the middle of the century.

809 SCIENTISTS WHO HELPED REVIEW 9200 SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS FOR THE 5^th INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT OVERWHELMINGLY CONCLUDED:

HUMAN-CAUSED GLOBAL WARMING CONFIRMED!

•  CLIMATE CHANGE HARMS HUMANITY — PUTS JOBS AT RISK.
• AS A RESULT, NUMEROUS FAITH COMMUNITIES IDENTIFY CREATION CARE AS A MORAL IMPERATIVE
• As of 7/28/19,  186 of the 196 Paris Climate Accord signatory countries had ratified it, accounting for 89.38% of global CO2 emissions.

This page updated 8/21/2019