Rural County Commissioners Join Citizens’ Climate Lobby to Push Bipartisan Permitting Reform

A recent Fox News Poll on Affordability shows that 41% of voters say their cost for utility bills have risen “a lot” in the past year, adding to the high cost of living. Another article said, “A new analysis shows more US consumers are falling behind on their utility bills.” Heading into winter, many households can’t afford to pay the bills to heat their homes. Montanans are joined by more than a third of Americans who say their electricity bills are a “major” source of stress.

A key solution: deploy more clean energy and build the energy infrastructure to deliver it.

Solar power, wind energy, and battery storage–three technologies that allow clean, renewable energy to be generated, used, and stored efficiently–are the cheapest and quickest way to add power to the grid. They will help secure affordable and reliable electricity.

We’ve got them: Montana has the 2nd highest wind energy potential and over the course of a year, Montana’s solar resource is 26 percent greater than the national average. We’ve barely scratched geothermal energy.

More clean energy translates to lower utility bills. But we need to quickly permit and connect clean-energy projects to the power grid. For this to happen, Congress needs to pass comprehensive bipartisan permitting reform legislation.

Today, too many clean-energy projects are stuck waiting for permitting approval. In fact, more than 92% of new projects awaiting permits are solar and wind, while just 7.5% are natural gas. The longer they wait, the higher costs climb for us. Some transmission lines have been stalled for up to 17 years.

Renewable energy generation in a more interconnected grid can reliably meet energy demand, complementing regional weather patterns to move energy from where it is available to where it is needed, and lower overall energy costs. We need to build, upgrade/repair, and expand transmission lines to get more clean energy up and running.

In November, Montana Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) volunteers joined with four county commissioners from Flathead to Rosebud counties to urge Senators Daines and Sheehy and Congressmen Zinke and Downing to pass comprehensive bipartisan permitting reform legislation. The commissioners shared how beneficial the clean energy projects, such as the Clearwater Wind Farm, are to their counties. They realize lucrative tax revenues that greatly help. Support letters from four additional county commission boards were also shared with the members of Congress. CCL thanks these county commissioners for their support.

The Problem Solvers Caucus Permitting Reform Framework offers a bipartisan path forward. CCL advocates for:

Greater grid reliability and resilience: Counties depend on a modern, reliable grid. Faster federal approvals for transmission and generation projects reduces the risk of outages and improves energy security.

Revenue for essential county services: Energy projects permitted more quickly at the federal level bring in revenue that counties can reinvest in roads, schools, and public safety.

Predictability and certainty for planning: Counties need clear federal timelines for federal energy permitting. Certainty allows local governments and developers to align land use, engagement of communities, and infrastructure planning without risk of sudden delays.

Local job creation and investment: Streamlines federal permitting for energy projects (like wind, solar, and transmission lines) and attracts new businesses, creates local jobs, and expands the tax base.

Lower energy costs for residents and businesses: Reducing permitting delays accelerates the build-out of reliable and affordable energy infrastructure.

Additionally, communities must have meaningful input on projects and early and transparent local engagement. The integrity of our core environmental safeguards must also be upheld when project approvals are streamlined.

Modernizing permitting will lower costs for families, deliver clean energy, and strengthen grid reliability.

Congress has an opportunity to cut red tape, strengthen the grid, and make America – not China – the global energy leader. Please see http://cclusa.org/take-action.

Alexandra Amonette volunteers with Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a nonpartisan, grassroots organization advocating for federal policies to reduce pollution and support clean energy. Learn more at citizensclimatelobby.org.

By Alexandra Amonette: December 5, 2025 - Big Timber, Mt

Opinion / political pieces are printed verbatim, in their entirety, and are not fact-checked. We reserve the right to not run an opinion or political piece that we find objectionable. If you have an opinion or political piece you would like to share, please contact The Great Falls Gazette at info@gfgazette.com or call (406) 604-8929.