Comment from Citizens for Clean Energy, Inc.

Dr. Walker, Thank you very this great opporunity to provide comments. My name is Lt. Colonel (retired, US Army) Richard D. Liebert, chairman of Citizens for Clean Energy, Inc., a diverse grassroots Montana non-profit group of citizens oppposed to coal plants and we do public education for the community to promote CLEAN Energy alternatives, conservation and energy-efficiency. We've also had direct personal dialogues with Senators Jon Tester and Max Baucus, plus Governor Brian Schweitzer. Our website is www.cce-mt.org and we also sponsor and mentor students toward working on clean energy and environmental science projects that will lead to future careers in a sustainable economy. Along with MEIC, Sierra Club and others, Citizens for Clean Energy have been able to help halt construction of a coal plant in Montana, which will now switch to natural gas - we hope. We MUST expand Transmission but also DISTRIBUTED Energy, where we will create an ENERGY-NET, like we have an INTER-NET, which has empowered citizens with global information. Now we must - and can - LITERALLY EMPOWER American homes, farms, ranches, towns and cities. We can upgrade our hydro-turbines, use new hydro turbines designed in in-river flow and still protect fish and environment. As Victor Hugo said 'No idea can be defeated whose time has come." The time is NOW for clean energy! Sincerely, Richard D. Liebert Owner, Windwalker Ranch Natural Beef Lt. Col (Army, retired) Chair, Citizens for Energy, Inc. Member, Montana Farmers Union American Legion Ag working group, 2006-2008 Montana Governor's Climate Change Advisory Committee