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Montanans Want More Solar, Hydropower, Wind, Natural Gas Development, Less Interested in New Coal Plants

March 4, 2026/

The survey results come as elected officials and Montana’s largest utility company contemplate the future of Colstrip, the coal plant that is Montana’s largest power generator.

Montanans are bullish on solar, natural gas and hydropower for electricity generation — but wary of adding additional coal power to the state’s energy mix, according to a new Montana Free Press-Eagleton poll.

The results of the poll, conducted in late December and early January, come as the Trump and Gianforte administrations work to expand domestic energy production amid a surge in demand wrought by growth in artificial intelligence and other electricity-intensive industries.


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