OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Bozeman Sustainability Advisory Board Work Session on Green Power Program: June 10, 2026

City Commission — Wednesday, June 10, 2026
BodyBozeman, Montana
SessionCity Commission
DateWednesday, June 10, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:23:46
Transcript — Verbatim
2:19

Um earlier.

2:24

So I think there's a lot of either time you do it.

2:30

We would say that we're going to be here.

2:37

Yeah.

2:51

I don't think that's what we're doing.

2:57

Yeah.

3:33

No, that's pretty much it.

3:35

Oh no.

3:39

I don't know if online.

3:45

So it's not just a point.

3:48

So it's all that I would suggest.

4:03

Do you want this one?

4:39

Okay.

4:39

Good evening, and welcome to the June tenth meeting in the sustainability advisory board.

4:45

Before we begin, I'd like to explain the various ways to participate in tonight's meeting.

4:51

First, you can join us here in person in the commission room, or you can join us remotely by going to Bozeman.net and clicking on the meetings tab where you'll find the agenda for this meeting.

5:01

Click on the link on the agenda page to join.

5:04

You can provide public comment on an agenda item by using the raise your hand feature.

5:10

We take public comment in the room first, then move online.

5:14

Lastly, this board has decided to refer to one another on a first name basis for ease of communication.

5:20

With that, I call the June 10th meeting of the Sustainability Advisory Board to order.

5:27

I guess can you get the gamble?

5:29

Thank you.

5:32

Natalie, are there any changes to the agenda?

5:36

There are due to a transportation delay.

5:42

We are short one person to vote on the minutes, so I would suggest that we move the minutes till after our FYI discussion item at the end of the meeting.

5:51

Great.

5:56

Are there any disclosures board members would like to make on tonight's agenda?

6:06

All right.

6:06

Well, we'll skip over the minutes in that case.

6:12

Anyone on the board would like to share?

6:16

Sure.

6:19

Yeah, I would mention I mentioned a bit ago Northwestern Energy's integrated resource plan.

6:27

That plan has been filed at the public service commission, which is accepting comments until July 28th on that plan, and there will be some public meetings hosted by the public service commission that have not been announced yet.

6:43

But in considerations, they've kind of held those in different communities.

6:48

So there could be one in Bozeman if they choose to do so.

6:56

Great.

6:57

Thank you.

6:58

Now I'll ask if there's any public comment on any non-agenda items in person or online.

7:09

Okay, well, we can move on to the main agenda item in that case.

7:16

So the work session on Green Power Program lead community agreement with Northwestern Energy, and that is presented by Natalie Meyer.

7:43

All right, good evening, members of the board.

7:45

Thank you for being here tonight.

7:47

And I yeah, appreciate everyone's interest in this program over the last few years.

7:55

This project is a long time in the making.

8:00

It's a partnership with our colleagues over in Missoula County in the city of Missoula and with Northwestern Energy.

8:10

I've been involved with this project since the beginning, but really want to acknowledge all the other leaders that have been involved from Missoula at the staff level and the commission level, and also our former mayor Cunningham for his direct and involved with involvement with this effort over the years to make it possible.

8:56

And we'll get into all of those details, but tonight we'll be talking specifically about one of the steps in the program in the process called the lead community agreement.

9:09

So for today's agenda, we're going to talk about the big picture, why establish a green power program, the guiding principles negotiated with the utility, the timeline and process, where we've been, where we are now, and where we're going.

9:25

We'll talk a little bit about the impact of approving the lead community agreement and future city commission steps.

9:32

And I'll just pause there.

9:34

Does that sound right for everyone here?

9:37

Okay, and this is a work session.

9:39

And so if you have like a burning question, you can interrupt, but chances are there's something on the slide deck, and we can save QA for the end.

9:52

So the big picture, the green power program was referenced in our climate plan as one of the key strategies to reach 100% clean electricity.

10:02

And this is especially in consideration of the limited options we have in Montana to access clean energy, renewable energy opportunities.

10:14

We have a really nice net energy metering program for rooftop solar that's capped at 50 kilowatts.

10:19

This is fantastic for residential if you have your own home.

10:23

If you have good roof access or yard access, can afford to install solar.

10:29

But if you're a renter or don't have some of those features on your property, you can't do it.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Environmental Protection██████████████████████████████████34%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████████████████████████29%
Technology and Innovation███████████████████████23%
Community Engagement████████8%
Procedural██████6%
Summary of Proceedings

Bozeman Sustainability Advisory Board Work Session: Green Power Program Lead Community Agreement

The Bozeman Sustainability Advisory Board convened on June 10, 2026, at 12:15 PM for a work session focused on the Green Power Program Lead Community Agreement with Northwestern Energy. The meeting included a presentation, discussion, and public comment.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Mark Campanelli, a Bogert Park neighbor and resident, expressed skepticism about the program. He raised concerns about Northwestern Energy's reliability, the impact of its pending merger with Black Hills Corporation, and the need for improved battery options. He cautioned against bad incentives and urged support for local renewable energy and battery storage.

Discussion Items

  • The main agenda item was a work session on the Green Power Program Lead Community Agreement, presented by Natalie Meyer. She outlined the program's history, guiding principles (additionality, no cost shifting), and the 50 MW cap. The agreement defines roles for lead communities (Bozeman, Missoula, Missoula County) and Northwestern in filing a tariff with the Public Service Commission. The program aims to develop a new utility-scale renewable energy project (likely wind or solar) in Montana.
  • Board members discussed the timeline, subscription details (including residential options), and market-based credits. Questions addressed the RFP process, energy storage, and the impact of Northwestern's evolving portfolio.

Key Outcomes

  • The board approved the minutes from the May 13, 2026 meeting (motion passed).
  • The board anticipates reviewing the actual Lead Community Agreement at its next meeting for a recommendation to the city commission.
  • An FYI item: a Gooch Hill sub-area plan open house on July 8, 2026, was noted, with board members expressing interest in holistic planning for the area.

Meeting Transcript

Um earlier. So I think there's a lot of either time you do it. We would say that we're going to be here. Yeah. I don't think that's what we're doing. Yeah. No, that's pretty much it. Oh no. I don't know if online. So it's not just a point. So it's all that I would suggest. Do you want this one? Okay. Good evening, and welcome to the June tenth meeting in the sustainability advisory board. Before we begin, I'd like to explain the various ways to participate in tonight's meeting. First, you can join us here in person in the commission room, or you can join us remotely by going to Bozeman.net and clicking on the meetings tab where you'll find the agenda for this meeting. Click on the link on the agenda page to join. You can provide public comment on an agenda item by using the raise your hand feature. We take public comment in the room first, then move online. Lastly, this board has decided to refer to one another on a first name basis for ease of communication. With that, I call the June 10th meeting of the Sustainability Advisory Board to order. I guess can you get the gamble? Thank you. Natalie, are there any changes to the agenda? There are due to a transportation delay. We are short one person to vote on the minutes, so I would suggest that we move the minutes till after our FYI discussion item at the end of the meeting. Great. Are there any disclosures board members would like to make on tonight's agenda? All right. Well, we'll skip over the minutes in that case. Anyone on the board would like to share? Sure. Yeah, I would mention I mentioned a bit ago Northwestern Energy's integrated resource plan. That plan has been filed at the public service commission, which is accepting comments until July 28th on that plan, and there will be some public meetings hosted by the public service commission that have not been announced yet. But in considerations, they've kind of held those in different communities. So there could be one in Bozeman if they choose to do so. Great. Thank you. Now I'll ask if there's any public comment on any non-agenda items in person or online. Okay, well, we can move on to the main agenda item in that case. So the work session on Green Power Program lead community agreement with Northwestern Energy, and that is presented by Natalie Meyer. All right, good evening, members of the board. Thank you for being here tonight. And I yeah, appreciate everyone's interest in this program over the last few years. This project is a long time in the making. It's a partnership with our colleagues over in Missoula County in the city of Missoula and with Northwestern Energy. I've been involved with this project since the beginning, but really want to acknowledge all the other leaders that have been involved from Missoula at the staff level and the commission level, and also our former mayor Cunningham for his direct and involved with involvement with this effort over the years to make it possible. And we'll get into all of those details, but tonight we'll be talking specifically about one of the steps in the program in the process called the lead community agreement. So for today's agenda, we're going to talk about the big picture, why establish a green power program, the guiding principles negotiated with the utility, the timeline and process, where we've been, where we are now, and where we're going. We'll talk a little bit about the impact of approving the lead community agreement and future city commission steps.

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