This editorial by steering committee member Bradley Wyss was published in papers across Montana, in print and online.
I am one of the fortunate Montanans to have a career in the renewable energy industry as a wind electrical technician. My county saw three mills shut down in the past two years, leaving several hundred people without jobs. One of the mills I previously worked at also closed. Where does one go when the demand for their skill set completely dries up?
With no prior power generation experience, the company that hired me provided the training and resources I needed to thrive and grow. There are dozens of different paths of opportunity within the renewable energy industry. I have been able to try several. My current job, wind electrical technician, has allowed me to achieve the financial freedom I was finding difficult to obtain in other industries. In this difficult economy, I am able to afford a house, pay off my medical debts and auto loan, and I have a much better work-life balance. I want this opportunity to be available to more Montanans.
In fact, for several years I helped hundreds of veterans transitioning to civilian life enter the renewable energy workforce when I worked for a career skills program of the U.S. Army. I am still in touch with many of them. Much like myself, they’re also doing well in this growing industry. They can afford to raise their families, buy houses and be successful.
Coming in fifth for largest industries in Montana, energy production is one our state’s top employers. It could be bigger. Despite ranking second best in the U.S. for total wind energy generation potential, Montana ranks 49th in wind jobs. Historically, coal mining provided a stable career for many Montanans, but it’s a shrinking industry due to several market forces. In recent years however, renewable energy production has been the fastest growing energy source for the state. It brings skilled jobs to locals looking for high-paying work. And you can do it straight out of high school, or make a career shift to it later in life. If Montana energy policy embraced renewable energy, we could be creating thousands of high-paying jobs. Montana has wind energy production potential of over 600,000 megawatts, and we’re currently only harnessing about 2,146 megawatts as of February 2026. Most of that energy is owned by out-of-state companies. Montana’s utilities could and should be prioritizing wind generation for their own portfolio.
Benefits from renewable energy go beyond the energy grid. From Cascade to Custer, some Montana counties are making over $1 million dollars a year in tax revenue from these farms. They provide jobs and economic growth. Every 10-15 towers built is a new local job opening, and every megawatt of power is another 800-1,100 homes powered on zero-fuel-cost, affordable energy. We could be a net energy exporter and make our bills even more affordable.
Now, NorthWestern Energy has started its Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) process to try and plan for the next 20 years of electricity generation. Montana’s abundant wind and solar potential and affordability for customers should not be overlooked or underestimated in this plan. Unfortunately, it seems that these resources — especially wind energy — do not feature strongly or accurately in this IRP. Somehow NorthWestern Energy’s IRP instead favors natural gas and nuclear, which are either not available or less affordable, when Montanans could get to work building cheaper wind and solar power resources immediately.
Working class Montanans like me would love to see a plan that makes use of this resource and provides jobs that can keep us in the communities that we love. The revenue for landowners also helps them keep their farms and ranches.
Bradley Wyss is a Wind Electrical Technician in Montana and sits on the steering committee of Montanans for Affordable Energy.