Montana officially joined a multi-state effort to expand and streamline electrical transmission infrastructure across the West, Governor Greg Gianforte announced June 30, 2026. Gianforte signed a joint statement of agreement committing Montana to the Western Transmission Expansion Coalition, known as WestTEC.
A Regional Response to Rising Demand
WestTEC brings together eleven states — Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, North Dakota, Utah, Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, Wyoming, and now Montana — along with more than 70 stakeholders that include utility companies and state and Tribal governments. The coalition is focused on analyzing transmission needs and coordinating long-range infrastructure planning across the region.
The urgency behind the effort is driven by projections showing electricity demand across the West could grow by 20 percent over the next decade. That figure is notably higher than the 9 percent increase anticipated just three years ago, reflecting accelerating pressure on existing grid capacity from population growth, industrial expansion, and electrification trends.
“With increasing demand on our energy grid, we must meet the challenge head-on to ensure affordable, reliable power for Montanans now and into the future,” Gianforte said.
Permitting Task Force at the Center
A central component of the WestTEC framework is the creation of the Permitting Alignment and Coordination Task Force, or PACT. The participating states will use PACT to develop a coordinated approach to cutting through the permitting delays that have historically slowed transmission projects in the West. Streamlining those processes is widely viewed as essential to building new high-voltage lines at the pace the region’s grid needs.
In Montana, the WestTEC work falls under the Montana Energy Task Force, which is co-chaired by Department of Environmental Quality Director Sonja Nowakowski. She called Gianforte’s participation in the coalition “an important step forward for Montana.”
Broader Energy Context
Montana’s involvement fits into Gianforte’s broader energy agenda, which has emphasized reliability and affordability alongside the state’s role as a significant producer of coal, oil, natural gas, and hydropower. Joining a transmission coalition alongside both Republican-led states like Wyoming and Idaho and Democratic-led states like Washington and Oregon reflects the bipartisan nature of grid reliability concerns, even as energy policy remains politically contested.
Permitting reform for large infrastructure projects has also been a growing priority at the federal level, and coordination with state-level efforts like PACT could align with ongoing federal discussions about expediting energy project approvals. As Montana fire officials adapt to new federal land management structures this summer, the state’s energy and land-use agencies face a complex interplay of federal and state authorities that WestTEC’s collaborative model aims to navigate more efficiently.
No timeline for specific transmission projects was announced alongside the coalition agreement, but the WestTEC framework is expected to produce regional transmission analyses that participating states and utility stakeholders will use to guide future infrastructure decisions.
