Mar 16, 2009
Business Facilities' 2008 Award
Montana was runner-up
By: Business Facilities
Business Facilities' second annual State of the Year Award 12/2008
Montana was runner-up to Michigan's First Place Ranking for
total investments and job creation.
Interestingly, all of the Montana’s State of the Year statistics revolved
around one multifaceted industry: energy. The Many Stars coal-to-liquids facility,
(40 MILES FROM bILLINGS IN hARDIN) an investment worth $7 billion, will stimulate 4,000 to 5,000 new jobs and produce 50,
000 barrels of diesel and other fuels per day. This mega-deal helped cement
the runner-up nod for Montana.
TransCanada’s Keystone XL Pipeline will pump crude oil for 281 miles beneath
Montana’s Big Sky country thanks to a $1-billion investment. Meanwhile,
Signal Peak Energy’s new mining operation will create 191 jobs in Montana
and bring $450 million to the state economy.
Additionally, General Electric announced in May the creation of 125 jobs in Billings,MT.
To counterbalance the state’s booming carbon-based resources, two wind power companies are pumping
a total of $525 million into Treasure State’s alternative energy sector.