This Montana joint resolution urges the U.S. Congress and President to reform federal permitting and environmental review processes to accelerate domestic energy production and infrastructure development. The bill advocates for streamlining regulations that are perceived as barriers to building energy projects, citing national security concerns and the need to meet growing energy demands from technologies like artificial intelligence. It specifically calls for reducing delays caused by litigation and regulatory hurdles while maintaining environmental protections, and highlights Montana's readiness to contribute to national energy independence through its diverse energy resources.
This bill updates Montana's critical infrastructure protection laws by explicitly including broadband, wired, and wireless communications infrastructure as protected facilities. It amends state statutes to define critical infrastructure more broadly, encompassing telecommunications systems alongside traditional utilities like power plants, water facilities, and natural gas pipelines. The legislation establishes criminal penalties for trespassing on or damaging these facilities, with fines up to $4,500 and imprisonment of up to 18 months for willful acts that could harm operations. These changes directly affect security personnel, law enforcement, and facility operators who manage the newly designated infrastructure assets.
This bill declares that the Montana Department of Environmental Quality has full authority over air quality, water quality, and emissions standards for existing fossil fuel-fired electric generating units within the state. It designates the department as the sole oversight and permitting authority for coal, natural gas, and oil power plants currently operating in Montana, while asserting that federal agencies lack authority to regulate these facilities without significant economic investment from owners and ratepayers. The legislation includes a contingency clause that would void the bill if the federal Environmental Protection Agency repeals specific rules from May 2024, and it takes effect immediately upon passage and approval.
This bill updates Montana's right-of-way laws to explicitly include broadband lines and natural gas pipelines alongside existing utilities like telephone, electric, and telegraph lines. It authorizes companies and public bodies to install and maintain these infrastructure systems along public roads, streets, and highways by constructing necessary fixtures such as posts and piers. The legislation requires that all installations must not inconvenience or endanger the public while using these roads, and it clarifies that this law does not limit the authority of city or town councils to regulate such installations.
This bill authorizes Montana state officials to lease state-owned land for underground storage of natural gas, carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases, primarily for public utilities and government agencies. It expands the types of gases that can be stored and allows the state to sell any remaining native gas found in leased areas. The bill gives the state board authority to create rules for leasing and storage, requires lessees to post a bond of up to $20,000 to protect the state from financial loss, and mandates that lessees take precautions to prevent waste of existing oil or gas deposits. Violations of storage conditions could result in lease forfeiture after a hearing.
SB 81 authorizes Montana's state board to lease public lands for underground storage of natural gas or liquefied gas (including carbon dioxide and methane), primarily affecting natural gas utilities operating in Montana. Key provisions include requiring lessees to pay for remaining natural gas deposits in the land, limiting bonds to $20,000 per lease, and mandating lease terms to prevent waste or damage to gas deposits. The bill also grants the state board rulemaking authority over these leases and forfeiture procedures for violations. This legislation failed to pass, dying in committee after its third reading failed in March 2025.
