Two Missoulians Pedal to Peddle Energy Independence for Montana

By Brianna Randall, 7-20-06

	Caption: Betsy Hands, in front of one of Montana's wind projects. Photo courtesy of Nicky Phear and Hands.

Betsy Hands and Nicky Phear are two Missoulians who sought solutions from the seats of their bicycles. What they found on their 10-day, 700-mile pedal across central Montana was a vision for the future: homegrown fuels, energy independent communities, and a state with a flush pocketbook.

“Al Gore missed a lot by only focusing on the problems in his new movie,” says Hands, a candidate for Montana House District 99. “We wanted to find the people working to solve some of the climate change problems by addressing our energy needs here at home.”

The two women structured their pedaling around visits to innovative, on-the-ground renewable energy projects. From June 30 to July 9, they met with Montanans using all types of energy sources, from small-scale wind power that runs a single farm to cities installing solar panels on public buildings. The trip also included a chat with U.S. Senate candidate Jon Tester, who was “delighted” to see Hands waving the flag of energy independence.

Phear, an instructor for the Wilderness and Civilization Program at the University of Montana, says that biking not only met their goal of demonstrating sustainable, no-emission transportation, it also helped them appreciate the elements behind renewable energy production. “We were constantly in the wind and sun, or passing by water,” she says. “Plus, it was fun to fuel ourselves at the grocery stores instead of the gas pump.”

Beginning in Missoula, the two women stopped frequently in rural communities, answering questions about their distinct mode of travel, and listening intently to the stories of Montanans using creative methods to harness energy.

In White Sulphur Springs, they talked to a hotel owner combining geothermal, wind, and solar power because it’s the most cost-effective option. They saw communities learning how to convert locally-grown camelina oilseed crops into fuel. Their visit to Townsend’s Fuels for School Project showed how biomass heating will save $1 million over 30 years in the lowest-funded school district in the state.

This “trip with a cause” reinforced Hands’ and Phear’s conviction: Montana can harness its diverse natural resources for cost-effective, site-specific, green energy production. However, Montana currently exports half of the energy produced in the state with little economic benefits for the areas that produce it.

“Energy deregulation has taken away our ability to control our own resources,” says Hands. “We need an energy package that supports the local economy, and allows communities to take a leadership role.”

A common theme among the communities they visited was the tangible connection the people felt to their energy source. The farmer watches the wind, the tourists feel the sun that powers their hotel’s televisions, and the school kids can see the source of their heat.

Yet most people are not aware of how their energy is created or transported. Phear and Hands believe that the way to inspire a large-scale shift to renewable energy requires helping people make that tangible connection to their energy sources.

“Just like people have become more invested in locally-grown, organic foods, we need to get people excited about homegrown fuels,” says Phear.

How do Hands and Phear plan to help “get people excited” about homegrown fuels? Well, from the ground up, using educational tools and political incentives. Phear is currently designing a course to be offered to high school students next year through the Wild Rockies Field Institute. The students would begin a two-week bike trek in eastern Montana’s coal country and head west to view first-hand the communities, tribal and industry leaders who are pioneering a range of creative energy development and conservation strategies. The trip would end in western Montana’s urban areas with lessons on energy efficiency and sustainable building.

Hands plans to work with city and county governments and the state legislature to develop programs that prioritize renewable energy. She hopes to ease the transition from reliance on centralized, coal-based energy by creating systems that provide technical expertise and cost-share incentives for start-up expenses.

“It all starts by powering one farm or one home with local, renewable energy, and then we can move to the city and then the state level,” says Hands.

The main reason for excitement about expanding Montana’s renewable energy production, however, is not just to champion a moral or environmental cause -- it’s the bottom line. The economic benefits are real. With higher oil prices tugging on everyone’s purse-strings, the time to invest in locally-produced energy is now.

“The Rocky Mountain West can be a leader in renewable, self-sufficient energy production. We just need the initiative,” says Hands.

These two ladies have that in spades. The next step is to show others that homegrown fuels and an energy-independent Montana are not nearly as distant as the vast open spaces they covered on their bikes.
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