Over the past several years, the state of Montana has taken various steps to have less of a negative impact on the environment. At the end of last week, Governor Steve Bullock (D) announced that the government would be releasing documents detailing exactly how taxpayer money was being used for these energy-efficient projects, saying that people have a right to know how their money is being spent.

While at a press conference, state officials proudly touted the energy reforms that had been taken by the state since 2010. Governor Bullock was joined by Department of Administration director Sheila Hogan and Department of Environmental Quality director Tracy Stone-Manning for a tour of Montana's state data center on Friday, April 25. One of the stops on the tour included the center's Kyoto Wheel system, which is used to keep the building's computers cool, saving the state nearly $200,000 annually.

The Kyoto Wheel gathers cool air from outside and cycles it into the facility, into the spaces between the servers. By cutting down on the heat that is produced by the building's machines, the Kyoto Wheel has been found to be 85 percent more energy-efficient than traditional cooling methods. The program has reduced the state's power bills by a total of $1.8 million so far. Governor Bullock told local reporters that while the state facility was benefiting the environment, there were further steps that the state can – and will – be taking in the near future.

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