Governor Gianforte, Montana Chamber of Commerce To Host Energy Summit in Bozeman

Governor's Office

HELENA, Mont. - Governor Greg Gianforte and the Montana Chamber of Commerce are scheduled to host the 2nd Annual Big Sky, Bright Future Economic Summit on Thursday, October 16th, in Bozeman. This year's summit will focus on unleashing American-made energy in Montana.

"With rising demand on our energy grid, Montana must continue unleashing American-made energy to ensure Montanans have access to affordable, reliable power now and into the future," Gov. Gianforte said. "With a renewed focus on energy at the federal level and our state's rich, abundant natural resources, Montana can and should lead on energy policy. I'm grateful to the Chamber for joining us in hosting this summit once again."

The summit will facilitate collaboration and impactful conversations about Montana's energy landscape, improving energy reliability, identifying growth in energy demand, exploring transmission expansion, simplifying regulations, and establishing next generation power solutions. Panelists include top executives and policymakers focused on advancing affordable and reliable power for Montana's communities and businesses. Keynote speakers include Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen, and Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González-Colón and Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy Chris Wright.

The summit will also explore innovative solutions to meet the growing energy demand from utilizing AI, improve manufacturing, and understand population growth to create a successful roadmap for continued economic growth.

"Montana has a long history of being an energy rich state," President and CEO of the Montana Chamber of Commerce Todd O'Hair said. "Today, with electricity demand increasing, we have the choice to seize the opportunity. The Big Sky, Bright Future Economic Summit is designed to bring business and government leaders together to discuss the challenges and opportunities for Montana's future. The line up of speakers demonstrates that this is one of the timeliest discussions of our time. The Montana Chamber is proud to partner with Governor Gianforte and appreciates his leadership on this issue."

Earlier this year, Gov. Gianforte issued an executive order establishing the "Unleashing American-Made Energy Task Force" and charged its members with providing recommendations the legislature could consider, and the governor could sign into law to unleash American-made energy in Montana. The task force is chaired by Montana Department of Environmental Quality Director Sonja Nowakowski and held its first meeting in September.

The 2nd Annual Big Sky, Bright Future Summit agenda may be viewed here.

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