By Henry Robertson
What does Missouri’s energy future look like? The setbacks to coal, such as those described in page-one article on AECI, are welcome news, but also a challenge. We’ve long dreamed of a clean energy future. Now the time is at hand to make those dreams materialize.
The Missouri Chapter is working on a comprehensive energy plan to tackle global warming. Our aims are to show the consequences of a “business as usual” approach to energy, to quantify as best we can the potential for efficiency and renewables to meet our needs, and to describe the policies Missouri will need to pursue. The members of the task force writing the plan are Chapter Development Director Melissa Hope, and a subcommittee of the Chapter Executive Committee consisting of Claus Wawrzinek, Gloria Sennert, Rick Haeseler, and myself.
The plan looks at present trends in energy use, including the transportation sector and sprawling development, and the effects global warming is likely to have in Missouri. We recommend solutions that can be taken by the state, local governments, and individuals. They include conservation (not using fossil energy whenever possible); energy efficiency in buildings, appliances and electricity use generally; smart growth and alternatives to the automobile; and renewable energy sources, especially wind, solar, and biomass. We will assess the limitations on using biomass for electricity generation and vehicle fuels, and debunk the claims of the corn ethanol boosters.
We hope that our Missouri Global Warming Plan will lay a solid foundation for our work in the future and serve as a guide to citizens and public officials. Meanwhile, the first Missouri wind farms are operational in the northwestern part of the state. Nearly all their output is being bought by Associated Electric Cooperative Inc, the same utility that “postponed indefinitely” the coal plant in Norborne, Missouri. Smart move. They can turn it around, and so can the state as a whole.
Also, Kansas City Power and Light has introduced energy efficiency legislation in the Missouri legislator that will provide an incentive to utilities to develop efficiency programs to reduce energy demand. Other promising energy legislation has also been introduced.