Coal may be on its way out as an energy source as utilities announce new retirements, and talk of climate change and new regulations grows. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is a driving force in these topics. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed new rules and standards to govern CO2 emissions from power plants, and many fear the impacts to coal fired power plants and the market. Many who support these new initiatives advocate power generation switching to CO2 free sources like wind and solar. Here we take a look at the wind generation trend in Iowa, its impacts, and what that could mean for coal.
Wind generation is on the rise in the United States, especially in Iowa. A majority of states now generate some portion of electricity from wind.
State generation from wind. Percent of state total, 2013.
Iowa leads the country with 27.7% of total energy produced in 2013 from wind sources. The only larger source of energy in the state is coal with 58.87% of total generation. Iowa led South Dakota (25.95%), Kansas (19.39%), and Idaho (16.17%) in percent of total generation from wind, and trailed only Texas (35 GW) in total wind energy generated (15.5 GW) in 2013. Wind has grown to play a major role in the electric portfolio of the state.
Read the full write up here.
Ventyx
www.ventyx.com
Filed Under: News, Policy
