Governor Greg Gianforte’s Unleashing American-Made Energy Task Force has completed its work and delivered more than a dozen recommendations aimed at boosting Montana’s energy capacity and affordability, addressing concerns about electricity demand growth in the state.
The task force, established in fall 2025, wrapped up its research this summer with a slate of proposals designed to ensure reliable power supplies as consumption is projected to climb 20 percent over the next decade. The effort brought together state agency officials, industry representatives, and elected lawmakers to chart a course for Montana’s energy future.
Task Force Membership and Process
The task force drew participation from across Montana’s political spectrum and economic sectors. State Senator Chris Pope, a Democrat from Bozeman, and Representative Gary Parry, a Republican from Colstrip, both served on the group alongside their roles on the Legislature’s Energy and Technology Interim Committee. Daniel Zolnikov, a Billings Republican, chaired that interim committee. Sonja Nowakowski, director of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, led the task force as chair.
The governor charged members early on to identify concrete strategies for expanding Montana’s energy options while keeping costs manageable for consumers and businesses.
Key Recommendations and Initiatives
The task force adopted an “all-of-the-above” approach to energy development, signaling openness to diverse power sources rather than backing any single technology or fuel type. Among the recommendations, the governor endorsed a study by the Western Transmission Expansion Coalition, positioning the state to participate in ongoing efforts to strengthen regional power grids.
Montana also joined ten other states in the Western Governor’s Transmission Permitting Alignment and Coordination Task Force, or PACT, a multistate initiative designed to streamline the regulatory approval process for new transmission projects. That coordination effort could accelerate the construction of power lines and infrastructure needed to move electricity across state lines.
The state’s Energy Office, located within the Department of Environmental Quality, has been directed to intervene in a pending case before the Public Service Commission regarding NorthWestern Energy’s Large New Load Tariff. That intervention reflects the task force’s interest in shaping how utilities respond to major new electricity demands from industry expansion or economic development.
Looking Ahead
The recommendations signal the Gianforte administration’s focus on expanding Montana’s energy independence and competitiveness. The push aligns with broader state initiatives to attract industry, including the $800 million Janicki Industries aerospace manufacturing campus breaking ground in Great Falls and ongoing discussions around rare earth mineral exploration projects that could drive significant electricity demand.
The interim committee structure allows lawmakers to continue refining energy policy during the 2026 off-year, setting the stage for potential legislation when the Legislature reconvenes in 2027. The task force’s work also reflects growing national attention to energy reliability and supply chains, concerns that shaped energy policy discussions across Republican-led states during 2025 and into 2026.
The state’s investment in transmission coordination and grid modernization also signals recognition that Montana’s energy future depends not just on new generation capacity but on the infrastructure to deliver power reliably across the region. The task force’s endorsement of the timber management initiatives supported by the Governor further illustrates how natural resource management and energy policy intersect in Montana’s broader economic development strategy.
