Gianforte Announces Task Force To Unleash Energy

Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte announced Wednesday, Sept. 10, he is launching a task force to provide recommendations and strategies for Montana to unleash American-made energy.

A press release from the Governor’s Office said Department of Environmental Quality director Sonja Nowakowski will chair the task force and Gianforte will appoint members of the task force “in the coming days,” with its first meeting planned for Sept. 22.

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 in a statement. “After four years of failed Biden energy policies that drove up energy costs, we need innovative ideas to unleash American-made energy in our state. Montana is ready to lead, and this task force will build on our natural strengths as a state rich in energy resources.”

The task force is charged with providing short- and long-term recommendations and strategies for the state to increase the supply of affordable and reliable energy options.

In the executive order establishing the task force, Gianforte emphasizes that Montana follows an “all-ofthe- above approach to energy, supporting the expansion of energy production in every sector and avoiding market distortions by not picking winners and losers.”

Gianforte cited a report from the Western Electricity Coordinating Council that says electricity demand in the western states is expected to grow 20 percent during the next decade, a growth rate almost twice what was forecast in 2022. It is also four times the historical growth rate from 2013 and 2022.

Montana has historically been a net exporter of electricity, but that shifted in recent years. In 2023, North-Western Energy noted in its annual report that the monopoly energy company is “predominantly a net importer, especially during peak demand.”

Gianforte’s executive order highlights the state’s diverse energy portfolio, which includes coal, oil, natural gas, hydropower, wind and solar.

Roughly 37 percent of Montana’s in-state electricity production is generated from coal-fired power plants, while 57 percent is generated from renewable energy sources — primarily hydropower — according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Gianforte has repeatedly stated that Montana stands ready to help President Donald Trump’s efforts towards unleashing America’s energy resources.

In his first days back in office, Trump declared a “national energy emergency” which he partially defined as an inadequate energy supply and infrastructure which led to high prices.

Both the nation, and Montana, have reached all-time energy production numbers in recent years.

The Energy Information Administration reported that U.S. production from all sources reached consecutive all-time highs in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

In Montana, DEQ data mirrors that with the state reaching its highest electric power generating capacity in 2024.

The increase in capacity over the last decade is primarily due to additional wind power, which makes up 27 percent of the state’s electricity capacity. Coal capacity makes up roughly 23 percent, natural gas 8 percent and solar 3 percent, according to DEQ.

“Montana has a long history of responsible energy development,” Nowakowski said. “As we face growing demand for electricity, it’s time to build on that legacy with innovation and investment in energy resources. This task force will convene leaders in Montana’s energy sector to identify the barriers and develop a strategy to deliver affordable, dependable energy for Montana families and the businesses ready to invest in our state.”

A recent vote by the U.S. House overturned a Bidenera resource management plan which blocked new coal leases on millions of acres of land across eastern Montana, including the Powder River Basin, which contains close to a third of the nation’s accessible coal reserves.

In a letter sent to the Trump administration, Gianforte urged the federal government to maximize the availability of federal coal in Montana, including by reopening Bureau of Land Management acreage to coal leases, to benefit national security, provide reliable energy and boost Montana’s educational systems.

The governor’s office stated that while the governor’s task force may recommend any strategy increase the supply of affordable, reliable energy, Gianforte expressly asked the task force to “provide recommendations that provide Montana energy producers and consumers with greater certainty in the market, stable delivery systems for electricity, efficient permitting and regulatory systems, and an end to frivolous litigation designed to delay or thwart responsible, environmentally-sound energy development.”

Gianforte’s energy task force held its first meeting on Sept 22 and is expected to produce a written report with recommendation and strategies by Sept. 15, 2026.