BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Montana Gov. Steve Bullock says the Obama administration needs to spend more money to improve coal plant technologies and clear the way for more wind power if it’s serious about countering climate change.
The Democratic governor laid out his case for a Montana-friendly approach to global warming in formal comments submitted Monday to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Bullock says Montana already has seen climate change through wildfires and low streams, but needs more flexibility to meet EPA goals.
The Obama administration wants states to cut climate-changing emissions 30 percent from 2005 levels. Its plan counts heavily on reductions from coal power plants — a major issue in coal-rich Montana.
Development of so-called “clean-coal” technologies has been hampered by high costs, even as critics question the potential benefits.
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