For decades, America has anticipated the transformational impact of clean energy technologies. As the federal government and industry made long-term investments to support those technologies, some critics became impatient, claiming a clean energy future would "always be five years away." Today, the clean energy future has arrived. You can read the U.S. Department of Energy report, Revolution Now, at: http://bit.ly/2kXduzt  REASONS: There are more and more reasons to seriously consider adding alternative power to your home's energy systems.

• Little to no global warming emissions – we want to keep Montana, our country, and the world safer.
• Improved public health and environmental quality – we want a healthy, clean environment, every where.
• A vast and inexhaustible energy supply – in Montana, especially, we have an abundance of wind and sun.
• Jobs and other economic benefits – Montana can always use more industry, especially to replace fossil fuel jobs lost.
• Stable energy prices – you are free from increased power costs. Payback period has decreased considerably - Making the investment much more affordable.
• A more reliable and resilient energy system – when the power lines go down or a transformer blows, you still have power!

SOURCES: Montana has a unique position. The state has five forms of renewable energy available for heating and electricity generation purposes. These forms of energy include solar, wind, small-scale hydro, biomass, and geothermal sources. Furthermore, there is over fifty times as much energy present in renewable energy resources as is required to heat and provide electricity to Montanans each year. Read a MSU Study at: http://bit.ly/2kX3Gpc  SOLAR: A small solar electric or photovoltaic (PV) system can be a reliable and pollution-free producer of electricity for your home or office. Small PV systems also provide a cost-effective power supply in locations where it is expensive or impossible to send electricity through conventional power lines. http://bit.ly/2k13TU l WIND: Wind power surged in 2015 with capacity growing by 12% since 2014, representing 41% of all new capacity installed in the U.S. last year. As of 2015, there were nearly 74,000 megawatts of utility-scale wind power deployed across 41 states and territories -- enough to generate electricity for more than 17 million households. http://bit.ly/2kXlZui  TAX CREDITS: Residential taxpayers who install an energy system using a recognized non-fossil form of energy on their home are eligible for various tax credits. The Alternative Energy Revolving Loan Program (AERLP) provides loans for Solar Water Heat, Solar Photovoltaics, Wind (All), Biomass, Geothermal Heat Pumps, Landfill Gas, Wind (Small), Hydroelectric (Small), Geothermal Direct-Use, and Fuel Cells using Renewable Fuels. For more information, go to: http://bit.ly/2jCGRqG  CONTRACTORS: Looking for a renewable energy contractor? See the link below for a list of businesses and the renewable energy technologies they offer. For details and contract information, click on the business name. All businesses on this list are members of the Montana Renewable Energy Association: http://bit.ly/2kZUT2G  Follow all of Toni Bowen's news on the ERA Landmark Arrow Real Estate website.