If elected, what would your energy priorities be for your term as U.S. representative?
Aaron Flint
Regardless of political party, I think we can all agree on two things: we want a clean environment and affordable, reliable energy. That is my energy policy. We can protect our natural resources while ensuring families, farmers, ranchers and small businesses have the energy they depend on every day. Keeping energy affordable helps lower the cost of filling up your truck, heating your home and putting food on the table.
The United States has succeeded by embracing an “all of the above” energy strategy. Hydropower, drilling, mining, solar, wind and nuclear energy have strengthened America’s energy portfolio. Every source has a role to play. But we also have to be honest about reality. Sunshine and a stiff breeze cannot get a semi-truck from Billings to Missoula, and renewable energy alone cannot reliably power our economy or electric grid. Additionally, traditional energy supports thousands of Montana jobs, from the Stillwater Mine to our coal fields and the Williston Basin.
The idea of removing fossil fuels from America’s energy mix is neither realistic nor responsible. Doing so would drive up costs, weaken our energy security and eliminate jobs. I do not support the federal government picking winners and losers through mandates and regulations. America’s energy future depends on producing more energy here at home, of all kinds, and using
every resource available. This approach keeps costs
down, people employed and maintains our energy
independence.
Sam Forstag
Too often, politicians from both parties push one form of energy or another because it benefits the bottom line of the corporations that are bankrolling their campaigns — even if it hurts the people they represent. In Congress, the first question I’ll ask myself before every decision will be: “Does this improve the lives of everyday Montanans?”
In terms of energy, I’ll push for federal policy with working Montanans’ wellbeing at its core. As we transition to cleaner forms of energy, I’ll also fight to make sure that Montanans’ jobs are never collateral damage.
That means real investments in renewables — Montana has some of the nation’s highest potential in both wind and solar, two industries that are being knee-capped by needless bureaucracy. If we cut the red tape restricting the build-out of a sustainable grid in Montana, we could create thousands of high-paying jobs and position ourselves at the forefront of the 21st Century energy sector. We should update the power plant in Colstrip to make it more efficient, and when it becomes outdated, the federal government should invest to make sure the jobs that have supported families there stay in the community.
It’s time Montana’s representatives finally prioritized the needs of the working and middle-class over massive corporations. So, as we transition to more renewable forms of energy, this build-out needs to generate good union jobs, and we need to invest in training and apprenticeship programs so that Montanans are the ones who get those jobs.
The future of Montana is extremely exciting: If we pass sensible policy and make the right investments, this state will be a leader in the energy sector for generations to come. That means rewarding, well-compensated careers and a clean, healthy environment for our children and grandchildren. That is the Montana I’m fighting for.