3 Steps Missouri Can Take to Meet its Clean Power Plan Targets

Missouri is required to reduce power sector emissions by 29 percent below 2012 levels by 2030 under the Clean Power Plan. WRI analysis indicates the state can achieve 90 percent of this target by implementing existing clean energy policies and improving the efficiency of existing natural gas and coal plants. By further expanding its renewable energy standard to 20 percent of electricity sales by 2030, Missouri could reduce emissions by 34 percent below 2012 levels, exceeding the target by 17 percent. These actions could provide economic benefits, including over $6 billion in energy bill savings and $20 million annually from selling surplus carbon credits between 2022 and 2030.

• Under the Clean Power Plan (CPP), the U.S. EPA requires Missouri to lower its power sector emissions by 29 percent relative to 2012 levels by the year 2030.
• Missouri can reach 90 percent of its required emissions reductions by combining the implementation of existing clean energy policies with operational improvements at coal plants and increasing the capacity usage of natural gas plants to 75 percent.
• Existing clean energy policies, specifically the renewable energy standard requiring 15 percent of investor-owned utility sales from renewables by 2021 and voluntary electricity savings goals of 1.9 percent per year by 2020, could provide 63 percent of the necessary emissions reductions.
• If Missouri increases its renewable generation to 20 percent of all state electricity sales by 2030, it would reduce emissions to 34 percent below 2012 levels, exceeding the CPP target by 17 percent.
• Implementing these strategies offers significant economic opportunities: the wind industry already provided nearly $1 billion in capital investment as of 2014, efficiency programs could save $6 billion in energy bills, and the state could earn $20 million annually from 2022-2030 by selling surplus carbon credits at $10 per ton.

APA

World Resources Institute (2016). 3 Steps Missouri Can Take to Meet its Clean Power Plan Targets. https://www.wri.org/insights/3-steps-missouri-can-take-meet-its-clean-power-plan-targets

Chicago

World Resources Institute. 3 Steps Missouri Can Take to Meet its Clean Power Plan Targets. 2016. https://www.wri.org/insights/3-steps-missouri-can-take-meet-its-clean-power-plan-targets.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=3 Steps Missouri Can Take to Meet its Clean Power Plan Targets |date=7 January 2016 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/3-steps-missouri-can-take-meet-its-clean-power-plan-targets |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2016steps, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{3 Steps Missouri Can Take to Meet its Clean Power Plan Targets}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2016}, month = jan, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/3-steps-missouri-can-take-meet-its-clean-power-plan-targets}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }