Midwestern Governors Address Regional Energy Security and Global Warming
New-generation coal power plants to maintain regional energy reliability and regional cap-and-trade policies are some of the strategies supported at the recent Midwestern Governors Association's Energy Security and Climate Change Summit.
New-generation coal power plants to maintain regional energy reliability and regional cap-and-trade policies are some of the strategies supported at the recent Midwestern Governors Association's Energy Security and Climate Change Summit.
Six states, plus Manitoba, signed the Midwestern Regional
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord that establishes green house gas reduction targets and sets up a regional cap-and-trade system to reduce global warming pollution by 60 percent to 80 percent by 2050. Full implementation of the accord will be completed within 30 months.
The accord was well received by environmental organizations.
"The Governors' bold path to reduce global warming pollution will grow more green jobs for the Midwest economy. There will be a big regional clean energy economic boost from the combined impacts of the Midwest states acting together," says Howard Learner, executive director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center.
As part of the summit, the midwestern states also adopted an
Energy Security and Climate Stewardship Platform. The platform establishes the goals of including specific timelines for the advancement of energy efficiency, the promotion of biobased products, the production of renewable electricity, and the development of advance coal and carbon capture and storage.
Nationwide, the ability to provide a reliable supply of electricity has become more challenging in recent years, according to the National Electricity Reliability Council (NERC). NERC projects that the available installed capacity margin will decline nationally from approximately 18 percent just a few years ago to about 7 percent in 2015. The NERC recommends a 15 percent reserve margin in the Midwest Region.
Discussions at the energy summit focused on steps to ensure a stable, reduced-carbon energy supply while taking into account the link between energy, economy and the environment, says Scott Wiseman, Midwestern regional vice president of the Center for Energy and Economic Development.
"Thankfully, our governors recognize that it will take a combination of increased energy efficiency and additional generation, a portion of which will include new advanced coal-based power plants to maintain a reliable and safe supply of electricity to meet the region's needs," Wiseman says.
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