HB 660, titled "Require rules to limit GHG emissions," would have mandated the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to develop specific rules for limiting greenhouse gas emissions. This bill sought to amend existing state law (Section 75-2-112, MCA) by requiring the DEQ to create regulations to protect public health, safety, welfare, and the environment from these emissions. The legislation directly affects the DEQ by expanding its regulatory responsibilities to include greenhouse gases.
HB 6 implements the Renewable Resource Grant and Loan Program by appropriating funds to the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC). The bill allocates specific amounts for various grant types, including emergency projects, planning, irrigation development, private projects, and nonpoint source pollution reduction. Additionally, it appropriates $5.25 million for prioritized infrastructure grant projects to specific cities, towns, and water districts for improvements to wastewater systems, drinking water infrastructure, and stormwater control. Funds for these prioritized projects are awarded in a specified order until available money is expended.
HB 703 exempts specific state and local agencies in Montana from analyzing greenhouse gas emissions during certain environmental reviews. The bill states that the state department and local building departments are no longer required to analyze greenhouse gas emissions from covered appliances when adopting or enforcing building codes. It also exempts the state department from analyzing greenhouse gas emissions from new motor vehicles, engines, and nonroad vehicles, and emissions originating outside the state's borders. The bill cites federal preemption laws as the basis for these exemptions from environmental review.
HB 760 establishes consumer protection laws for individuals purchasing residential solar energy systems in Montana. It grants solar buyers a 3-business-day right to cancel a contract after signing, requiring written notification to the solar company or agent. Solar sales agents must provide a written explanation of these cancellation rights, which the customer must acknowledge. Additionally, the bill prohibits solar companies and sales agents from making deceptive statements about the costs, financing, or terms of solar energy system purchases during solicitations.
This bill reclassifies certain wind energy facilities from Property Tax Class Fourteen to Class Thirteen in Montana. Currently, wind facilities are excluded from Class Seven (taxed at 8%) but fall under a higher-tier classification; this change moves them to Class Thirteen, which is taxed at 6% of market value. The bill amends Montana Code Annotated sections 15-6-137 and 15-6-156 to explicitly include wind generation facilities under Class Thirteen’s tax rate. This directly affects wind energy facility owners by reducing their property tax burden from 8% to 6%. The change applies immediately and retroactively, affecting existing facilities without requiring new construction.
LC 739 establishes new requirements for wind turbine generators over 500 feet tall in Montana. It mandates a minimum 1,500-foot setback from occupied residences (unless approved by the property owner) and limits rotor speed to 10% of maximum during deicing if turbines are within 2,500 feet of homes. The bill applies to new projects after January 1, 2026, directly affecting wind energy developers and nearby residential property owners. It also amends Montana's wind energy agreement law (Section 70-17-406) to include these safety and proximity standards.
Montana's LC 1611, the "Montana Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Act," requires local governments (municipalities and counties with 20,000+ residents) to adopt standardized permitting rules for electric vehicle charging stations by 2027. It mandates that local governments either adopt a state-developed model code, establish objective standards (avoiding subjective decisions), or maintain existing processes, while reporting on permit approvals and processing times. The bill also creates eligibility for state loans to local governments that comply with the new rules. This directly affects local government permitting agencies and businesses installing EV charging infrastructure by streamlining approvals and reducing delays.
This bill redefines which energy infrastructure qualifies as "class fourteen property" for tax purposes in Montana, directly affecting developers and owners of specific renewable energy and carbon capture facilities. It expands the existing definition to include new categories like sustainable aviation fuel production facilities (added in subsection bb) and clarifies criteria for transmission lines (subsections x, y, z). The key change is expanding eligibility for this special tax classification to cover more renewable energy projects and infrastructure, without altering the tax rate itself. This affects entities building qualifying wind, biomass, geothermal, storage, and carbon capture facilities that commenced construction after specified dates. The bill amends Montana Code Annotated §15-6-157 to reflect these updated definitions.
This bill (LC 859) proposed restricting how power generated by wind and solar facilities located in Montana could be sold. It would have directly affected Montana-based renewable energy producers and potentially utilities purchasing that power. The bill aimed to limit sales of such power outside Montana but was never enacted. The draft was placed on hold and ultimately died in the legislative process in May 2025, meaning no policy changes were implemented.
LC 900 proposed revisions to eminent domain laws to allow government takings of private land for carbon capture projects. The bill would have directly affected landowners and developers of carbon capture infrastructure by altering the legal process for property acquisition. However, the bill was drafted in 2024, placed on hold multiple times, and ultimately died in committee on May 23, 2025, without becoming law. No policy changes were enacted through this bill.
