Montana

Montana could be an energy leader, but we’ve fallen behind

Published

2 years ago

July 14, 2024

Montana could be an energy leader, but we’ve fallen behind

A blast of Arctic air is nothing new for Montana – most of us have plenty of practice dealing with extreme cold and working together to keep ourselves and our neighbors safe.

But something rang different this time. Instead of reassurance that we’ll get through this together, and that Montanans always have each other’s backs, some of our statewide leaders used the dangerous weather as another opportunity to snipe at their constituents and make divisive comments.

Matt Rosendale posed in front of an idle wind farm on Saturday, braving the cold weather to make potshots at one of Montana’s most valuable resources. In a separate post that same day, Rosendale mocked Montana’s new electric school buses, which will help protect our kids from air pollution. His point, in both cases, is that fossil fuels are the only way we can survive.

But Rosendale may not have been aware that Colstrip had been running at half speed for nearly a week before he made his posts. Around midnight on Jan. 6, Colstrip’s output began to decrease, and it remained around half its normal capacity until Friday night. By Saturday morning, the power plant was back to full steam.

Later that same day, a major natural gas storage hub in Washington State went offline, halting gas distribution to the 1,500 mile long Northwest Pipeline. This pipeline serves millions of homes throughout a multistate region, and the outage triggered immediate calls for reduced energy use.

But the lights stayed on. We all remained warm and safe. No one except energy nerds like me noticed these disruptions. Why? Because we have an amazing, interconnected electricity grid that allows energy from different sources and regions to go where it’s needed. It’s a great example of the power of cooperation.

While some people can’t resist the temptation to use an emergency to prop their favorite energy source (or major political donor, in Rosendale’s case), events like this stress the entire system. There is no single type of energy that solves every problem. But what does solve these problems is a diverse blend of energy sources connected by a robust grid. Want proof? Just look at Texas with their isolated grid – and frequent electricity shortages.

Meanwhile, Sen. Steve Daines used the subzero temperatures as an opportunity to mock the whole idea of global warming. This cringeworthy comment came while many people in his hometown were suffering in the cold in camping trailers and makeshift housing. But Daines at least got one part right: Global warming is indeed a global problem. When Arctic air flows southward, the Artic becomes unusually warm. So while Montana was frigid, it was raining in Greenland. As the globe continues to warm, it will continue to drive extreme weather events, even above and beyond our normal extremes.

But there are solutions to these problems, thankfully. Energy is shifting from fewer, larger (and heavily polluting) power plants to smaller, more diverse, and more nimble power generation. We’re seeing exciting innovations in efficiency, energy storage, and ways to capture energy from wind, sun and geothermal heat. Montana has tremendous potential – thanks to our natural resources, our location near energy-hungry markets on the West Coast, and most of all from our hardworking people. We could be national leaders in today’s energy technology. Alas, we are not. States all around us have passed us in manufacturing and deployment of modern and cleaner energy infrastructure. Montana seems stuck in the past, unable to envision a cleaner future, while places like South Dakota, Iowa, and Georgia have become the new wave of energy leaders.

Montana has almost everything we need to catch up with other states. But perhaps the first step is for our leadership to want to make Montana better and stronger, and help steer us toward new areas of expertise. Instead of using the cold weather as an opportunity to learn and plan, they used it as a means to divide and diminish us. And that, sadly, is a complete waste of energy.

Karin Kirk is a geologist, science journalist, and ski instructor from Bozeman.

Source link

Montana

Public Meeting at Hub on Smith Concerning Montana Water Call Prompting Priority Administration in Tongue Basin

Published

12 hours ago

May 13, 2026

Press Room

Public Meeting at Hub on Smith Concerning Montana Water Call Prompting Priority Administration in Tongue Basin

Wyoming State Engineer Brandon Gebhart announced that on May 5, 2026, the State of Montana placed a call under Article V(A) of the Yellowstone River Compact to fill Tongue River Reservoir in Montana. As a result, priority administration is in effect on post-1950 water rights in Wyoming that divert water from the Tongue River and its tributaries and are not excluded from the compact.

A public meeting will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 18, in the dining room of The Hub on Smith. Attendees are asked to enter on the north side of the building.

The Tongue River Basin has been experiencing drought conditions over the past year with historically low winter snowpack and streamflow conditions. According to the release, those conditions led to Montana’s interstate call and prompted the administration of the Tongue River Basin in Wyoming.

The priority administration will affect post-1950 water rights within the Tongue River Basin, including reservoir storage, stream diversions and groundwater withdrawals, all of which affect river flows. Post-1950 water rights will be regulated off or prevented from turning on. Wyoming hydrographer-commissioners will continue to administer reservoir storage and post-1950 diversions throughout the spring and work with affected water users until the administration is lifted.

As provided in the compact, domestic uses less than one-half acre in area and livestock uses, including stock reservoirs less than 20 acre-feet in capacity, are excluded from this administration. The release noted these excluded rights could be subject to future regulation to satisfy priority calls by senior Wyoming water rights.

Beginning May 5, 2026, Wyoming hydrographer-commissioners have worked to record the current storage levels of reservoirs with post-1950 water rights. Going forward, those reservoirs can continue to accrue storage so long as post-1950 storage gained after the interstate call on May 5 remains in storage until either the water is released to satisfy the Montana call or Montana lifts the call because Tongue River Reservoir will fill.

Reservoirs with unfulfilled pre-1950 water rights can continue to store water and that storage will not be subject to release to satisfy Montana’s call. However, that storage and other direct flow rights could be subject to regulation to satisfy priority calls by senior Wyoming water rights.

The priority administration will be carried out pursuant to state law by hydrographer-commissioners assigned to various portions of the Tongue River Basin, working under the direction of Division II Superintendent David Schroeder.

The Wyoming State Engineer’s Office can be contacted at:

Jack Morey, deputy state engineer, 307-777-5032, jack.morey2@wyo.gov

David Schroeder, Division II superintendent, 307-674-7012, d.schroeder@wyo.gov

Jeff Cowley, interstate streams administrator, 307-777-1942, jeff.cowley@wyo.gov

Source link

Montana

Montana Lottery Mega Millions, Big Sky Bonus results for May 12, 2026

Published

1 day ago

May 13, 2026

Press Room

The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at May 12, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 12 drawing

17-32-35-40-47, Mega Ball: 17

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 12 drawing

04-12-17-24, Bonus: 11

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 12 drawing

19-21-35-38-53, Bonus: 01

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.

Source link

Montana

Montana Fifth Grader Takes Top Prize In Art Competition

Published

2 days ago

May 12, 2026

Press Room

Montana Fifth Grader Takes Top Prize In Art Competition

The Montana Highway Patrol hosts the Law Enforcement Appreciation Poster Contest every year. This year was the 5th annual contest, where kids all over the state submitted works of art to honor law enforcement officers.

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced the seven winners, for seven districts, late Monday, May 11.

The District One winner was Brooke Murphy, a fifth-grade student at Missoula Hellgate Elementary School.

Murphy’s wonderful, winning artwork!. Credit: Brooke Murphy & the Montana Attorney General’s Office.

“I appreciate law enforcement. They help us no matter what,” Murphy said in a statement from Knudsen’s office.

“It’s important to instill in young Montanans that this is a state that ‘Backs the Blue.’ Knowing they have the support of the community can make a world of difference to law enforcement officers, and these posters are a visual reminder that Montanans have their backs,” Knudsen said in a press release.

READ MORE: Popular Instagram Page Spotlights This Rustic Montana Roadhouse

Knudsen, Highway Patrol Colonel Kurt Sager, and a representative with Stockman Bank celebrated with Brooke and her class.

Credit: Office of Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen

It’s nice to win, but even nicer to receive the $750 courtesy of Stockman Bank and an ice cream party for the whole class to celebrate.

READ MORE: Watch a Bear and a Wolf Battle Over Dinner At Yellowstone National Park

Brooke was also named the statewide winner.

Here were the other district winners:

District Two: Payson Wittmer, of Great Falls

District Four: Madison Turner, of Huntley

District Five: Jacob Baisch, of Glendive

District Six: Ainsley Robinson, of Ronan

District Seven: Finley Roney, of Livingston