Annual Montana Clean Energy Fair

BILLINGS — The Montana Renewable Energy Association (MREA) works every day to make the state as clean and sustainable as possible. That’s why they held their annual Clean Energy Expo this Saturday to reach out to the public and inform them about some of the organizations working to make Montana a cleaner, greener state.

2024 will mark 13 years since the Clean Energy Fair.

“Who would have thought Billings would be a leader in sustainability in Montana,” says Glenn Foy.

Foy serves on the City of Billings as Chairman of the Energy and Environmental Protection Commission.

What seems like a fun Saturday activity is actually educational in nature, intended to inform the public about some of the specific actions Montana is taking to become more sustainable.

“I think renewable energy as a resource is becoming a staple, definitely nationally, but we’re certainly seeing that in Montana. So, again, we want to give people the tools to make the right choice for themselves,” says Makenna Sellers, executive director of MREA.

MREA hosts the trade show each year and features vendors from various local organizations and the city of Billings.

Makenna's Sellers — Makenna Sellers, Executive Director of MREA

The fair is taking place in Billings for the second year in a row, giving the city an opportunity to showcase some of its initiatives and plans to the public.

“I like that we’re bringing that diversity to Montana and providing a good, diverse energy mix,” Sellers says.

This year, the City of Billings unveiled new sustainability and money-saving strategies.

Their “methane capture” plan has already generated five million dollars for the city.

“This is a great example of a city that is committed to sustainability and saving money at the same time,” Foy said.

The plan is to capture methane gas from Billings landfills and recycle it for use by garbage trucks.

“More importantly, as part of this partnership, the city received nearly five million dollars from MDU (Montana-Dakota Utilities) in royalties associated with this endeavor,” Foy said.

The city also has another plan to use the city’s West End to drain water uphill. Currently, water is pumped uphill, which uses a lot of energy.

Foy said: “There were so many great things happening in the city in terms of sustainability.”

During the fair, residents had the opportunity to learn more about the city’s plans to increase energy efficiency (electric school bus, solar panels in schools), as well as about ways to make their lives less energy-intensive, such as a compost bin or ways to electrify homes at an affordable price.

“If they’re looking to integrate renewable energy into their home or business, or they’re just looking for other ways to save electricity, they want to find ways to be more efficient, we want to give people the opportunity to connect and make that happen,” Sellers said.