Climate lobby volunteers talk clean energy with Sheehy

Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) volunteers from across Montana discussed clean energy provisions with Senator Tim Sheehy and staff from Senator Steve Daines, Representative Troy Downing and Representative Ryan Zinke’s offices in Washington D.C. July 20-21.  

They joined hundreds of other CCL volunteers from across the nation in over 400 face-to-face meetings with lawmakers and their staff to push for climate and clean-energy legislation. 

“It was a pleasure and honor to meet with the staff of our Montana delegation and discuss pragmatic, market-based policies to ensure affordable and reliable clean energy for Montanans,” said Max Scheder-Bieshin, CCL volunteer from Big Sky.  

The CCL is a is a nonpartisan, nonprofit grassroots volunteer organization.  

Its initiatives include funding clean energy programs in FY26 appropriations, fixing clean energy tax credit implementation, and advancing smart permitting reform for clean energy projects, particularly to build more transmission lines. 

“Having time with staff to talk in-depth about energy policy is so valuable,” said Robin Paone, Whitefish-based CCL volunteer. “We found success in discovering where our common ground lies.” 

Volunteer Nate Marshall from Bozeman added, “We often hear about partisan gridlock. Advancing policy is difficult. But Congressional offices and citizens agree on keeping energy affordable and reliable, making batteries and the technologies of the future in the U.S., and mitigating destructive wildfires.” 

The Montana CCL volunteers also advocated for healthy forest policy via the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act. Senator Sheehy is a co-sponsor of this bill.