BILLINGS, Mont. -- The state's first trailblazing uber-green building -- the first to achieve LEED Platinum status -- is turning 10 and getting a new 24-kilowatt solar array to celebrate.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and Platinum is the highest certification awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council. The so-called "Home on the Range" building in Billings now will generate all of its own electricity, making it 100 percent energy efficient.

Architect Ed Gulick said it started out as an old neighborhood grocery store.

"They remodeled that old building to a standard that used significantly less energy and water than new construction," he said, "and it became kind of a model for a lot of other projects."

The building houses the Western Organization of Resource Councils, Western Native Voice and the Northern Plains Resource Council, which Gulick formerly chaired. They are inviting the public to take a tour and watch them flip the switch on the new solar array at 10 a.m. Saturday at the site on South 27th Street in Billings.

Gulick said he thinks the Legislature should encourage distributed generation of power and smooth the path for more community solar projects.

"At a larger scale, making this possible for everyone would require some changes in our regulations," he said, "and that in turn would require a different business model for our utilities."

Northwestern Energy, the state's biggest utility, has resisted the move toward solar. In a blow to the solar industry last week, the Public Service Commission granted a request from Northwestern Energy to be allowed to cut the rate it pays mid-size solar generators for their power.

More information is online at northernplains.org.


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Clean-energy advocates in Ohio and around the country say now is the time for the government to ensure the nation has the medium- and heavy-duty truck infrastructure needed to keep electric-powered trucks charged and driving across the country.

Trucks transported more than 11 billion tons of freight last year, spewing air pollutants and greenhouse gases along the way.

John Boesel - CEO of CALSTART, a clean-transportation nonprofit group - explained that the Environmental Protection Agency is considering rules to require commercial vehicle manufacturers to drastically curb emissions in the coming years.

But he said the agency should also figure out how to roll out national infrastructure to keep pace with the adoption of EV trucks.

"The Biden administration has a tremendous opportunity to really make progress," said Boesel, "in terms of supporting communities that have disproportionately been impacted by by diesel trucks and pollution."

The roadmap developed by CALSTART calls for building truck-charging stations in areas where industry is already concentrated, and then integrating hubs and corridors into an ever-expanding network - mostly along established supply-chain routes.

Critics say trucking companies and drivers have concerns about EV costs, mileage range, battery weight and safety, charging time and availability.

This year, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced the future locations of 27 new electric vehicle charging stations that will be installed along Ohio interstates.

Boesel said the growth of e-commerce has led to skyrocketing emissions, as more people and businesses order products online that are delivered by truck.

He said addressing the impact of heavy-duty vehicle pollution could lower public health risks for drivers, communities and the planet.

"In the future, we can see a society where we have trucks rolling around with zero emission and zero noise," said Boesel, "truck drivers being much happier driving an electric truck."

According to the market research firm PWC, the nation's charging market will need to grow nearly tenfold to meet demand driven by an estimated 27 million EVs on the road by 2030.




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After Coloradans cranked up the heat to welcome family members for Thanksgiving dinner, many are worried about the price they will pay when their utility bill arrives.

Denise Stepto, chief communications officer for Energy Outreach Colorado, which helps struggling families meet their energy needs, said her team saw an especially high volume of calls for help after this season's first cold snap. She noted many are still behind on their utility bills, and do not know how they will keep their homes warm this winter.

"The heat helpline has received 11,000 calls," Stepto reported. "It's a 131% change from the last week. My point is that it tells us that people are not solid going into this winter."

After Coloradans saw bills for natural gas rise by 75% last winter, Gov. Jared Polis issued an eight-page letter calling on state regulators to take any and all actions to lower utility bills. But Polis also warned long-term relief would only come after the state transitions away from fossil fuels to free energy sources like wind and solar.

A City of Denver initiative, which is installing solar canopies over school parking lots, is expected to save hundreds of low-income families up to $700 a year on their utility bills. Energy Outreach Colorado is also partnering with Xcel Energy to identify households qualifying for free Community Solar subscriptions.

"We subscribe households to Xcel's community solar gardens," Stepto pointed out. "That is directly offsetting the cost of electricity in their home. Anything that brings that bill down gives a little bit of relief."

Keeping homes at healthy temperatures is especially challenging for older adults, veterans, people with disabilities and low-wage workers. Cold homes in winter can create serious health problems, including respiratory illness and pneumonia.

Stepto added families needing assistance should call their heat helpline at 866-HEAT-HELP or 866-432-8435.

"People who have children often tell us that they are wrapping their kids in winter gear to go to bed," Stepto emphasized. "It's not healthy for them to be breathing in that cold air. And so you have to keep your home at a manageable, healthy temperature."


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New clean energy legislation in Michigan has passed and is heading to the governor's desk to be signed into law. Backers of the bills said they will allow Michigan to meet its energy needs in a more cost-effective and cleaner manner by improving renewable energy and energy efficiency standards.

Laura Sherman, president of the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council, said the legislation is predicted to create more than 160,000 new, well-paid, nonexportable clean energy jobs for Michiganders.

"Farmers and other landowners who wanted a passive source of income -- to save their family farms, to harvest solar or wind energy -- were being prevented by decisions made at the local level by a minority of voices, and a whole lot of fearmongering and unfounded concerns," Sherman asserted.

Sherman pointed out the legislation will also lower household electricity bills by investing in more affordable energy sources and capturing federal benefits. It is expected to help people save money through expanded energy efficiency programs, including insulation, window and lighting upgrades.

One goal of the legislation is to help transition the state to more renewable energy sources.

William Chilman, superintendent of Beal City Public Schools in Isabella County, thinks the transition should mean diversifying the energy grid, increasing tax revenue for communities, bringing in clean energy business investment, and potentially lowering energy costs long-term.

Chilman argued Michigan should aim for a mix of fossil fuels and renewable energy to avoid overreliance on any one source.

"We should be trying to develop as many different types of energy as we possibly can, to make it more difficult for that grid to come crashing down at some point or another," Chilman contended. "If we have different ways to feed that grid, the better off we're all going to be."

He noted a wind farm in his local township has generated more than $10 million in new tax revenue for itself, for Isabella County and schools, including more than $1.5 million to his district. Chilman added the challenge will be building solar or wind capacity while avoiding using too much acreage, which can coexist with farmland.


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