MONTANA DELEGATION VISIT
January 9, 2008

On January 9 Montana Governor Schweitzer and First Lady, Nancy Schweitzer visited the INL. The delegation included

Montana First Lady Nancy Schweitzer, Gov. Brian Schweitzer, DOE-ID Manager Beth Sellers, INL Lab Director John Grossenbacher, and Associate Lab Director Bill Rogers stand in front of an INL mission display. Click on image to enlarge

four of the Governor’s staff: Jan Lombardi, Montana State Education Policy Advisor; Tom Kasierski, Program Manager, Energy Division. Montana Department of Commerce; Kevin Furey, Energy Department Officer, Energy Division; and Eric Stern, Counselor to the Governor.

Governor Schweitzer’s visited the Idaho Research Center where he toured the Advanced Energy Storage Facility (IF #605); INL’s Research & Design Combine (IF #602, #603) the Catalysis Research (Lab A-18) Biological Systems (Lab A-9) and Membrane Separation (Labs A-11, 12).

At a media availability following the Governor’s IRC tour, he expressed his enthusiasm with the research done here at the Lab. He began his comments by saying, “I am here to see the future of the world. …. I wish all of Congress could take this tour. If INL was closer to Washington, DC,

Gov. Schweitzer, First Lady Schweitzer, and John Grossenbecher listen to the explanation of key elements regarding the Vehicle Technologies and Energy Storage Program. Click on image to enlarge

we would be closer to solving the country’s energy problems.” The Governor expressed his enthusiasm regarding the INL’s availability in assisting Montana in addressing its energy future, including using systems integration/carbon management approaches.

Schweitzer commented that The Treasure State – Montana, is rich in energy resources, listing the state’s vast fossil and renewable energy resources. He went on to enthusiastically say, “The research conducted here at INL is applicable for the entire world, the technology developed here today will be applied all over the world in the next ten years; there’s nothing more important in this country than clean and green energy that’s domestically produced.”

The Governor spoke of three methods of energy supply: goal, wind, and nuclear. He commented that each comes with its own problems: coal being CO₂; wind being reliability,

Heading to another lab, the delegation discusses various aspects of the research they are witnessing. Click on image to enlarge

and nuclear being radiation. These issues will need to be addressed to determine the best solution to not only our nation’s energy issues, but the world. He went on to say, “The research conducted here will provide information that is being shared between universities. This collaboration has a synergistic effect.”

When asked what he learned from the tour, he described a better knowledge of “the practical, relevant research done here, none of it available elsewhere in the country.” He mentioned the membrane technology and its use to separate methane from water and noted that the technology could be used to separate Montana methane from water; the research being done with bruccelosis and the effects that research will have on the 4000 head

Gov. Schweitzer met with the Southeastern Idaho media at the end of his tour. Click on image to enlarge

of buffalo in Yellowstone National Park.

The visit by the Montana delegation provided another step in the process of implementing an effort to expand INL’s bi-national regional influence as an Energy Laboratory in the Mountain West. The INL, a regional energy laboratory, can support our regional neighbors, as an independent technical resource.

Visit their website for further background on Montana energy.

Editorial Date January 11, 2008
By Sharon Barnes