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Montana politicians weighed in Sunday as news spread of Joe Medicine Crow’s death. “Today, Montana lost a treasure,” said U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., in a statement. “Joe Medicine Crow was a soldier and a scholar, but above all he was a fierce advocate for Native American families. “When you spoke to Joe Medicine Crow, it was impossible not to be inspired. I know his legacy will motivate generations of Montanans to follow in his footsteps and live a life dedicated to serving others.” U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., plans to give a speech on the senate floor Monday to

Corey Sell’s firm launched three decades ago to service the Colstrip power plant and mine, but the co-owner of CEI Electrical Contractors isn’t as worried now as people might think. In recent years, CEI, whose offices in Billings and Colstrip are in the heart of Montana’s coal country, has seen its biggest work demand from the wind-energy industry. CEI services the giant turbines, nacelles and other equipment that dot hillsides of wind farms in several states. Sell is a Colstrip native and has plenty of customers in the fossil-fuel industry, including the Colstrip plant, Phillips 66 and other oil refineries.

Made-in-Montana energy means good Montana jobs that on average pay two to three times more than the state average. Montana’s ability to create more good-paying energy jobs is immense. In fact, our state leads the nation in coal deposits. We are the nation’s fifth-largest producer of hydropower, with 23 hydroelectric dams across our state, and fifth in wind energy potential. Montana is at the center stage of the national energy debate and provides the nation a template of a true all-of-the-above energy portfolio. We have coal, natural gas and oil, as well as renewables such as hydro, wind, biomass and

The backburner issue simmering for weeks about the potential closure of Units 1 and 2 of the Colstrip power plant was how the oil refineries, silicon plants and mining companies that buy electricity directly from those units would be affected. Those industry buyers, known in utility jargon as “large customers,” began hinting a few weeks ago of job losses and rising consumer prices for things like gasoline if cheap Colstrip power from Units 1 and 2 went away. Those two units, the oldest and dirtiest in the four-unit Colstrip power complex, face serious challenges. Actions by the two units’ current

The same kind of innovative spirit that helped the United States regain the title of the world’s leader in oil and gas production will also help the industry weather current market downturns, says the chairman and chief executive officer of ConocoPhillips. Over the past decade, horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing have unleashed a flood of new oil and gas production in the United States. Despite a year-long decline in prices, “The U.S. energy renaissance is here to stay,” said Ryan M. Lance, a Montana native. Lance said Thursday that he has witnessed six downturns in the oil and gas industry

Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines announced last week that a recent graduate of Polson High School was accepted to the prestigious U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. Nicholas Becker, 19, received a full appointment to the Merchant Marine Academy. A Big Arm resident, Becker served on his high school’s Board of Governors, played tennis, lacrosse, and skied throughout his high school career. Tester and Daines spoke with Becker and congratulated him on his appointment. “Nicholas will make Montana and all of America proud as an officer in the United States Merchant Marines,” Tester said. “His stellar academic record and his leadership