MONTANA – Governor Greg Gianforte recently vetoed Senate Bill 188, a community solar initiative aimed at reducing energy costs for Montanans. The bill, designed to introduce community solar to businesses, apartment buildings, and households, would have allowed people to purchase shares of a larger solar array. Each month, participants would receive a credit on their power bill equivalent to their share of the energy generated.

The Northern Plains Resource Council, a grassroots conservation and agriculture group, worked closely with legislators to push for the bill’s enactment. Mary Fitzpatrick, a member leader for the council, expressed disappointment over the veto. “Taken away from Montanans the chance to reduce their electricity bills when electricity and everything else is going up so fast,” she said.

Community solar legislation has already been adopted in 24 other states. In Montana, SB 188 passed through the House and Senate with bipartisan support, with the final Senate vote being 46-4. Fitzpatrick emphasized that the bill wouldn’t have cost the state any money, would create jobs in the solar industry, and would cause less harm to the environment than burning fossil fuels. She mentioned that the only opponents to the bill were Northwestern Energy, which recently raised electricity rates by 17%, and Montana Dakota Utilities. “It’s just a shame that we should keep paying these high prices for very polluting fuel when there are alternatives, there are renewable energy of all kinds that are getting cheaper and cheaper,” she added.

Although people can still install solar panels on their homes independently, Fitzpatrick noted that the bill would have made solar energy accessible to those who either can’t afford it or whose homes lack the necessary infrastructure. “Well, my roof really isn’t suitable, so you know if the opportunity were there, I sure would look at it,” she said.

The Northern Plains Resource Council reported that developers showed interest in investing millions of dollars in solar arrays if the bill passed. Governor Gianforte’s office referred inquiries to the letter accompanying his veto. In the letter, Gianforte stated that SB 188 departs from the state’s strategy of unleashing innovation in the energy sector. He also highlighted concerns about the bill’s lack of strict guidelines for the Public Service Commission, which could lead to excessive credit rates imposing unreasonable costs on ratepayers.

Northern Plains and other advocates for SB 188 are hoping for the legislation to override the veto.

To read Governor Gianforte’s full veto letter, click here.