Montana leaders and industry experts gathered in Big Sky Country with a clear goal in mind: charting a bold economic future powered by affordable energy, expanded opportunity, and a growing workforce.
Governor Greg Gianforte welcomed attendees by highlighting Montana’s long history as an energy powerhouse. For decades, he noted, the state has kept the lights on across the Pacific Northwest and even overseas. But with rising electricity prices in recent years and increasing demand from industries like advanced manufacturing and data centers, Montana is pushing for what he calls an “all-of-the-above” strategy.
That strategy includes everything from coal and natural gas to wind, solar, hydro, and emerging nuclear technology. Major companies have already taken notice. Berkshire Hathaway recently invested nearly a billion dollars in a solar-and-battery storage project in northern Montana, while another billion has gone into a new wind farm in the east. Transmission expansions into Canada, North Dakota, and Wyoming are also underway to ensure that newly generated power can reach the grid.
“Our economy can’t grow without electricity,” Gianforte said, emphasizing that reliable power is now the number one concern, just behind workforce availability, for businesses looking to expand. The state has leaned into streamlined permitting to attract those investments. One recent billion-dollar energy project took just 30 months from approval to operation. “We’re open for business in Montana,” the governor said.
Quality of life remains one of the state’s greatest assets, and Gianforte pointed out that Montana’s outdoor recreation culture directly contributes to productivity and strong family life. But the state isn’t without growing pains. Housing shortages, a national challenge, have hit Montana particularly hard. In response, the state has overhauled zoning rules, expanded allowable housing types, slashed regulatory barriers, and boosted training programs for trades. Early results have drawn praise from across the political spectrum, with some observers calling it a “housing miracle.”
Still, Montana faces two major challenges ahead: ensuring long-term energy affordability and expanding its tight labor market. With unemployment well below 3%, the state recently launched its “406 Jobs” initiative to connect underemployed Montanans with in-demand careers. Veterans, formerly incarcerated individuals, people with disabilities, and members of Native American communities are among the groups being supported through targeted training tied to six fast-growing sectors.
“There’s such dignity in earning your own living and contributing to society,” Gianforte said. “We want every Montanan to have the opportunity to fulfill the American dream.”
With rising investment, sweeping policy reforms, and a renewed focus on workforce development, Montana’s leaders believe the state is poised not just to grow, but to lead.
