Off-Grid Governor
MARYSVILLE, Mont. (AP) – Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer is proud of his off-the-grid getaway. A day spent with Schweitzer riding four-wheelers and talking politics makes it easy to understand why he’s one of the most unusual – and most effective – governors in the country.
The former scientist and mint farmer built its spring-fed fishing ponds, rigged the plumbing system, designed the rudimentary battery-and-solar-powered panel for the log cabin 40 miles from Helena. It has no cellphone service.
At his ranch – and anywhere else – Schweitzer, a popular Democrat in a conservative state, never misses a chance to leave a lasting, even outlandish, impression. “I’m well-armed,” says Schweitzer, who hangs a gun on his office wall despite a gun ban in the Capitol.…