Edward Smith, edward.smith@sierraclub.org
SAINT LOUIS, MO -- The Sierra Club released a groundbreaking report and research tool today that grades utilities based on their plans to retire coal plants, stop building new gas plants, and invest in clean energy. The tool gives the public the power to judge each utility’s climate progress based on its stated carbon reduction goals and how that compares to what science actually demands.
“Missouri utilities need to close their coal plants faster and accelerate the transition to clean, safe, and affordable renewable energy,” said Andy Knott, Senior Campaign Representative for Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign in Missouri. “Ameren Missouri plans to operate the country’s largest coal plant without modern pollution controls until 2042 and that’s just unacceptable if we want to see meaningful progress on climate change.”
In addition to The Dirty Truth About Utility Climate Pledges report, Sierra Club also launched an interactive website which allows users to look up their utility’s grade, its coal plant retirement schedule (if one exists), its planned gas plant capacity, and its investments in clean energy. For Missouri utilities covered by the report, the top letter grade of “C” was awarded to Empire Electric in Southwest Missouri. Ameren Missouri received a “D” while Associated Electric Cooperatives, Inc. and Evergy each received an “F”.
The website also includes a national map to help users look up their service area and a digital dashboard for researchers, energy analysts, and media partners to keep track of each utility’s progress over the next decade.
Sierra Club will update the scores in this analysis on a regular basis. Evergy is developing a new long-range plan -- called an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) -- that is due to Missouri regulators on April 1, 2021, in addition to its Sustainability Transformation Plan. These new plans represent an opportunity for Evergy to improve its score by truly committing to clean energy.
“We need an equitable transition to clean energy that addresses the harms caused by generations of environmental racism," said Knott. "Missouri's largest utilities need to play a key role in the communities they serve in repairing these harms."
The report and dashboard sources its information from utilities’ IRP, the Energy Information Administration, S&P Global Market Intelligence, and major announcements from the 50 utilities that generate the most electricity from coal and gas. Those 50 worst offenders include investor-owned utilities, power authorities (like the Tennessee Valley Authority), generation and transmission co-ops, and large municipal utilities. In total, it examines plans for 79 operating companies owned by 50 unique parent companies.
Additional information about this Sierra Club report and Evergy's Kansas operations can be found here.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.