State’s Major Energy Players Helping Pay for Conference

By Dennison, Mike

HELENA – Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s energy conference this week is being bankrolled largely by the state’s biggest utilities and energy companies, and he makes no apology for it.

NorthWestern Energy has pledged $25,000 to help sponsor the two- day symposium, which starts Tuesday at Montana State University, and PPL Montana and MDU Resources Group have promised $15,000 each.

NorthWestern is the state’s largest gas and electric utility, and PPL Montana is the state’s dominant power generator. MDU, based in Bismarck, N.D., provides electricity and gas to much of Eastern Montana.

In all, energy firms are footing about 80 percent of the cost of the $75,000 conference.

Industry sponsorship of the conference has prompted criticism from environmental groups and others who say die summit goal is to devise an energy strategy that benefits the public, rather than any one industry.

“It’s wholly inappropriate for that to be funded by industry dollars,” said Pat Judge, energy program director for the Montana Environmental Information Center.

Yet even Judge acknowledges that the conference agenda is “pretty diverse,” with folks talking about alternative energy, conservation, consumer protection and tribal issues, as well as development of coal, oil and natural gas.

“The most glaring oversight is to not have a panel on global climate change,” he said.

Schweitzer said he dunks the conference lineup speaks for itself, with a comprehensive list of issues that will draw praise or criticism from just about anyme,

The state budget had no money for the conference, so the sponsorship was necessary to keep the cost affordable for participants, he said. Conferees paid $50 for the two-day event ($75 if they register on Tuesday), and students and university staff get in free.

“I’ve had one environmental group give money, and I’ve had 20 give me advice,” Schweitzer said. “It takes money to put these things on.”

Claudia, Rapkoch, a NorthWestern Energy spokeswoman in Butte, said the company doesn’t expect any special favors for its $25,000 sponsorship and is interested mainly in an energy policy that has widespread support and serves the state.

“It obviously makes very good sense for us to be involved in an energy conference in Montana, since we’re one of the largest players in the business in the state,” she said. “We believe that better solutions will arrive if all of us are able to come together and work together.”

PPL Montana, which owns a dozen power plants in Montana, has an interest in many energy issues and wants the conference to be a success, said David Hoffman, the company’s chief spokesman in Montana.

“It was a voluntary thing on our part,” he said. “It’s reflective of the role that the energy industry plays in Montana. We are major players. it’s part of the obligation we feel to help engage people in the discussion.”

Copyright Billings Gazette Oct 16, 2005