When one thinks of Montana and our history, mining and timber are two big industries that come to mind. There is a new industry though that is untapped in Montana, and we actually rank #2 in the nation for it's potential

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Stacker has listed Montana as the #2 state in The Nation when it comes to untapped wind energy. It makes sense when you consider one of our state nicknames is "Big Sky Country." With all that wide open space it is no surprise we'd be able to generate plenty of wind energy.

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So just how much untapped wind energy is there in Montana?  According to Stacker

- Potential wind energy capacity: 678,978 megawatts
- Currently installed wind energy capacity: 880 megawatts
- Current wind energy generation as percent of state's electric grid: 12.6%

That to me seems like a quite a big amount of wind we could capture to generate energy. Montana also ranks in the top 10% of the windiest states, so we've got plenty to make use of.

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Windmills have had a long history of helping out people in America. The prairie settlers used them on the Great Plains to be able to pump water and allow them build wells. It allowed our early settlers build ranches and farms in place before unimaginable.

We even used them in very remote places like Texas, where stringing electrical lines was too cost prohibitive, thus generating energy that way.

I know there are pros and cons to wind energy and there is lots of resistance especially from the fossil fuels industry. Montana, however, could just double the amount of wind we capture and that could make us a major energy provider in our area.

KEEP READING: Where Does One Montana City Rank In The Windiest Cities In The United States

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