Missourian: Obama’s Clean Power Plan could mean big changes to Missouri’s energy industry
COLUMBIA – President Barack Obama’s new rule to cut carbon dioxide emissions by more than a third by 2030 could mean an energy transformation and employment change for Missouri, the fourth most coal-dependent state in the country.
Missouri will have to develop a plan to slash carbon dioxide emissions by about 37 percent by 2018 from 2012 levels.
According to a report released by Missouri Department of Economic Development, 82 percent of Missouri’s electricity is generated by coal, a major source of carbon dioxide emissions. Nuclear power plants contribute to 10 percent of the state’s electricity generation. Renewable energy resources, mostly wind and hydroelectric power, account for nearly 3 percent of Missouri’s power generation.
Josh Campbell, the executive director of the Missouri Energy Initiative, a nonprofit that provides Missourians with energy-related information and resources, predicts the state would develop a more diverse energy portfolio and achieve higher energy efficiency under the rule.
“If the plan goes into place without any successful challenge, we will see a decrease (in the amount of coal used in Missouri) as part of our energy portfolio,” Campbell said.
This plan will have an uneven impact on the energy industry, boosting the outlook for clean energy companies while biting coal producers and users.
