August 27, 2024
Hey y’all!
A few months after I bought my house, I walked over to my neighbor’s on a sunny day (friend of Hometown, Paul Pacini) and watched his electric meter run backward. Paul has solar panels on his roof, as well as a battery system to store the excess energy. While some of us saw a 25% increase in energy rates this year, some clean energy users were able to mitigate the extreme fluctuations in our power grid. Homeownership has turned me into the kind of person who lusts after solar tax credits and passive energy systems.
This week we’re joined by Makenna Sellers, executive director of Montana Renewable Energy Association. Some of you may recognize Makenna from her work at Northern Plains Resource Council, where she worked to pass C-PACE legislation, a tool for energy-efficient commercial and multi-family development. She’s an energetic young woman representing tradespeople, scientists, and organizations at the forefront of clean energy in Montana. This week, she’ll be telling us more about MREA, their clean energy installation partners in Helena, their solar consumer protection guide, and the Sun Run they’ll be co-hosting with Food Share this October.
We’ll also hear from Callie Aschim from the Helena Chamber about upcoming parking changes downtown. Just this morning a parking attendant told me that the gate arms on some of the parking garages have stopped working, and a few visitors have gotten themselves stuck trying to exit! Those gate arms are on the chopping block, along with free parking in several areas. This is an ongoing conversation in our community, and you can submit your comments to the city at this link.
I’ve heard tell that we’ll have community recycling and fire updates as well this week. It’ll be a busy meeting — Don’t miss it! Join us in person at Helena College or via the magic of Zoom.
Haley McKnight
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