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Montana
Related Links
Definitions
Planning and Measurement | Targets and Caps | Reporting | Power Sector | Transportation Sector
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Planning and Measurement
State Advisory Board
Status: Completed
Details: On December 13, 2005, Governor Schweitzer issued a letter directing the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MT DEQ) to establish a Climate Change Advisory Committee (CCAC), a broad-based group of Montana citizens appointed by the governor to develop a state climate action plan by July 2007. The climate action plan was released in November 2007. The Center for Climate Strategies provided facilitation and technical support.
Regional Initiatives
Status: Completed
Details: On November 19, 2007, Governor Brian Schweitzer officially announced that Montana would become the seventh U.S. state to join the Western Climate Initiative (WCI), a joint effort to reduce regional GHG emissions and address climate change. The WCI unveiled its draft greenhouse gas reduction strategy on July 23, 2008. A final version of the plan is due in September 2008, and each state and province will then be left to adopt the recommendations.
GHG Inventory
Status: Completed
Details: Member of The Climate Registry - a collaboration aimed at developing and managing a common GHG emissions reporting system across states, provinces, and tribes. It will provide an accurate, complete, consistent, transparent, and verified set of GHG emissions data from reporting entities, supported by a robust accounting and verification infrastructure. A draft General Reporting Protocol was released by members October 29, 2007. The Climate Registry plans to start accepting data in July 2008. As part of the Montana Climate Change Advisory Committee's (CCAC) work to develop the Montana Climate Change Action Plan, they completed an inventory of GHG emissions for 1990-2020. Also completed in 1997.
- http://www.mtclimatechange.us/CCAC.cfm
- http://www.mtclimatechange.us/ewebeditpro/items/O127F14011.PDF
- http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/downloads/MTSummary_03_08.pdf
Climate Change Action Plan
Status: Completed
Details: On November 9, 2007, Governor Brian Schweitzer received the final Climate Change Action Plan Report, completed by The Climate Change Advisory Committee.
Montana created an action plan in December 1999.
- http://www.mtclimatechange.us/
- http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/stateandlocalgov/downloads/montana_ghg_project.pdf
- http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/stateandlocalgov/downloads/montana_ghg_project_exec_summary.pdf
Targets and Caps
Lead by Example Target
Status: No Activity Identified
Statewide GHG Target
Status: Proposed
Details: Montana is a member of the Western Climate Initiative (WCI). Under the agreement, by 2008 the member states and provinces will establish a cap-and-trade system to aid in meeting their regional GHG emissions target of 15% below 2005 levels by 2020.
The Climate Change Advisory Council submitted a global warming report to Governor Brian Schweitzer on November 19, 2007. The panel worked on the project for more than a year and is advocating dozens of initiatives, including higher standards for the state's utilities that call for reducing GHG emissions to 1990 % by 2020.
- http://governor.mt.gov/news/pr.asp?ID=513
- http://www.mtclimatechange.us/ewebeditpro/items/O127F14041.pdf
Statewide GHG Cap
Status: Proposed
Details: Member of the Western Climate Initiative (WCI). Under the agreement, by 2008 the member states and provinces will establish a cap-and-trade system to aid in meeting their regional GHG emissions target of 15% below 2005 levels by 2020.
- http://governor.mt.gov/news/pr.asp?ID=513
- http://www.pewclimate.org/what_s_being_done/in_the_states/news.cfm
Reporting
Electricity Disclosure
Status: Proposed
Details: Montana's 1997 restructuring law included requirements for the provision of information to consumers about electricity supply services. The Montana Public Service Commission proposed rules on November 8, 1999, calling for the disclosure of fuel mix and environmental impact information. These regulations have yet to be implemented. The proposed environmental disclosure regulations would require retail electricity suppliers to disclose information on fuel mix and emissions in a standard format at least twice a year along with product offers and advertisements.
GHG Registry
Status: In Progress
Details: Montana is a member of the Western Climate Initiative (WCI), which is considering various options for establishing a GHG registry and reporting system that will require some facilities and sectors to report (and reduce) their GHG emissions. The WCI unveiled its draft greenhouse gas reduction strategy on July 23, 2008. A final version of the plan is due in September 2008, and each state and province will then be left to adopt the recommendations.
Member of The Climate Registry - a collaboration aimed at developing and managing a common GHG emissions reporting system across states, provinces, and tribes. It will provide an accurate, complete, consistent, transparent, and verified set of GHG emissions data from reporting entities, supported by a robust accounting and verification infrastructure. Members released a final General Reporting Protocol in May 2008. The Climate Registry plans to start accepting data in summer 2008.
Mandatory GHG Reporting
Status: Proposed
Details: Montana is a member of the Western Climate Initiative (WCI), which is considering various options for establishing a GHG reporting system that will require some facilities and sectors to report (and reduce) their GHG emissions. The WCI unveiled its draft greenhouse gas reduction strategy on July 23, 2008. A final version of the plan is due in September 2008, and each state and province will then be left to adopt the recommendations.
Power Sector
CO2 Offset Requirements
Status: No Activity Identified
Details: HB 25, signed on May 14, 2007, requires natural gas plants built after January 1, 2007, to implement cost-effective carbon offsets. the status is No Activity because the bill only applies to natural gas plants.
- http://data.opi.state.mt.us/bills/2007/BillHtml/HB0025.htm
- http://www.4cleanair.org/Documents/StateGHGActions-chart.pdf
GHG Performance Standard
Status: Completed
Details: HB 25, enacted in May 2007, prohibits the state Public Utilities Commission from approving electric generating units constructed after January 2007 that are primarily fueled by coal unless the facility captures and sequesters at least 50% of its carbon dioxide.
- http://www.pewclimate.org/docUploads/montanaHB0025%20%282%29%2Epdf
- http://governor.mt.gov/news/docs/HB25SigningStatement.pdf
Advanced Coal Technology
Status: No Activity Identified
Power Sector GHG Cap and Trade
Status: Proposed
Details: Montana joined the Western Climate Initiative in January 2008. By August 2008, partners will complete the design of a market-based mechanism to achieve WCI's greenhouse gas reduction goal.
Transportation Sector
GHG Auto Standards
Status: Proposed
Details: The Montana Climate Change Advisory Council submitted a global warming report to Governor Brian Schweitzer on November 19, 2007. The panel worked on the project for more than a year and is advocating dozens of initiatives, including asking the state to look at more stringent automobile emissions standards.
Low Carbon Fuel Standard
Status: No Activity Identified