Electrifying buildings helps us both adapt to our changing climate (become more resilient) and mitigate the root causes of climate disruption (reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are the main driver). Here we tie Electrify Missoula to key adaptation & mitigation efforts in Missoula County.

Building Local Climate Resiliency with Electrification​

Climate Ready Missoula is a collaborative plan to build a healthy, just and resilient Missoula County, one that is adapted to the climate stressors here and coming. Improving the built environment so that residents and businesses have clean indoor air, are not "energy burdened" (meaning pay too much for energy), and can stay comfortable in the winter and cool in the summer is crucial.  

As we learn more about the health risks from methane gas appliances and as we prepare for hotter and smokier summers, we know that an "electrified" Missoula is a more resilient Missoula.

This Electrify campaign supports a number of Climate Ready Missoula's goals & strategies, like:

• Develop programs to implement and incentivize more energy-efficient building practices (new and retrofits) that are accessible to all socio-economic groups, including weatherization and cool roofs​.
• Ensure a clean, reliable, affordable electricity system in the context of increased heat, drought, extreme weather, wildfire, and population growth.
• Reduce cooling costs by increasing efficiency of building stock.
• And more!

Learn More:

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• Volts Podcast: Panama Bartholomy on decarbonizing Buildings
  
  
• Threshold Podcast: Extreme Home Makeover
  
  
• NPR: We need to talk about your gas stove, your health and climate change.
  
  
• NYT: the case for induction cooking
  
  
• WashPo: Gas stoves in kitchens pose a risk to public health and the planet, research finds.
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• more to come....

Community Carbon Emission Reduction Targets

Missoula's 100% Clean Electricity Resolution 
​In 2019, Missoula County Commissioners and the Missoula City Council adopted a joint resolution that establishes the goal of 100% clean electricity for the Missoula urban area by 2030. To meet this goal, we’re working to simultaneously “green our grid” (iow, replace electricity generated from fossil sources with clean electricity). Coupled with simultaneous efforts to electrify buildings, transportation, and parts of heavy industry, this clean electricity resolution can eventually drive reductions in Missoula's  greenhouse gas emissions, providing a real opportunity to reduce our contribution to climate change and to build a just and thriving clean energy economy and healthy community.

Local Governments GHG Reduction Goals:
Both the City of Missoula and Missoula County have goals of carbon neutrality for internal government operations. The City has a plan to be carbon neutral for municipal operations by 2025, for the County that is 2030. 

Community Climate Smart Action Plan and Goal
The 2015 Community Climate Smart Action plan was crafted by community stakeholders and endorsed by Mayor Engen.  Electrify Missoula supports a number of the goals and strategies within this plan, especially the goal of carbon neutrality for the Missoula area by 2050.