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With or without the proposed Clean Power Plan, Montana faces a number of questions concerning coal’s future in the state.

For example, Oregon and Washington actively are considering legislation to wean themselves from Montana’s coal-fired power.

These changing consumer demands come on the heels of already significant changes in the energy sector: cheap natural gas, existing regulations on mercury emissions, and weak coal export markets have reduced coal production and led to layoffs in Montana and across the U.S.

Most analysts agree these ongoing trends are structural and permanent. Coal will remain an important part of the energy mix for decades to come, but Montana should begin planning today for a smaller coal sector in the future.

Montana’s economy continues to grow and diversify. Education, access to markets and quality of life are primary drivers of economic growth in new, expanding industries including health care, financial services, technology, research and development, and tourism. As a result, the state today is less dependent on coal mining than at any time since the 1970s.