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improve health.
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NEWS & EVENTS
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Expanded Heat Pump Water Heater Rebate Program!
Exciting news, the City of Missoula and Missoula County have secured additional funding to expand the heat pump water heater rebate program to $1,435 for purchases made after May 1, 2025!
Spring Electrify Homes TourWe had a great turnout for our 3rd-annual Electrify Homes Tour this May!
Missoulians explored three homes in the Rattlesnake where neighbors showcased:
Sign up for Climate Smart Missoula's newsletter to learn about upcoming Electrify Missoula events. Thank you to our tour sponsor: Missoula Electric Cooperative. |
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Missoula's initiative to transition to a healthier, clean energy future.
The problem.In Missoula, many buildings rely on natural gas - which is comprised primarily of methane - for heating & cooling, cooking, laundry and more. In the first 20 years after it's released, methane traps significantly more heat than CO2, and, as a result, our building sector is a major contributor to climate change. Combined methane gas emissions (residential, commercial and industrial) account for 23% of our community's emissions. (Learn more about the climate connection.)
Burning methane gas in your home can also pose a threat to your household's health and safety. Gas-powered systems contribute to unhealthy indoor and outdoor air quality and rely on fallible gas-line infrastructure. Studies have found that children and other vulnerable populations living in homes with gas stoves have significantly higher rates of asthma and other health issues. Plus, gas is highly combustible when mixed with air, which makes residential gas leaks extremely dangerous. (Read more about the health connection.)
Let's be honest, methane gas is a pollutant and there are several reasons to prioritize switching to electric! |
Why electrify?Improve: Health & Comfort
Replacing gas appliances with electric appliances creates safer, healthier indoor environments by decreasing air pollution. Plus, electrified systems can make your space more comfortable - like heat pumps, which can both heat and cool! Cooking with methane gas can lead to levels of indoor air pollutants that the EPA would consider hazardous outdoors ! We're learning that all gas appliances leak. The more we learn about the health implications of burning methane gas, the more the concern. Learn more about health impacts here. Save: Energy High-efficiency electric appliances can offer energy savings over traditional gas appliances, even in cold climates. Reduce: Emissions Electrifying your building reduces climate-heating pollution, regardless of electricity source (aka, even in Montana). Efficient technology uses less energy overall. Plus, the City of Missoula and Missoula County have established a goal of 100% clean electricity for the Missoula urban area by 2030. Although the electricity most Missoulians use today is only ~ 55% "clean," this will improve as we work to increase the production of clean energy. 
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A just transition.The transition to clean energy is inevitable. A just and equitable transition is not.
Equitable Electrification means actively engaging communities that have been marginalized and historically left out of economic and community development conversations and opportunities. It means ensuring that the financial, health, and social costs of the energy transition aren't simply passed along to our most vulnerable community members. We don't have all the answers, but we are working to make this transition a democratic one and to make going electric affordable for all Missoulians.
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Electrify Missoula is a collaborative effort of Climate Smart Missoula, Missoula County, and the City of Missoula. As communities and states across the country take steps to decarbonize buildings and shift away from fossil fuel use, it’s critical that we accelerate the transition to all-electric appliances and heating systems. And let's power the system with clean, renewable electricity!
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Learn more about why we need to Electrify Everything! |
Join the Movement - Get a Yard Sign!Become a visible champion of electrification and inspire others by displaying a sign in your yard, window or balcony! Email us to pick one up.
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Electrify Everything!
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