5 Ways Missouri Can Meet EPA’s Proposed Power Plant Standards

WRI analysis indicates Missouri can reduce its power generation carbon-intensity by 21% by 2020 and 31% by 2030 relative to 2012 levels. While coal provided 79% of generation in 2012 and emissions are projected to rise 12% by 2030 if demand growth is met with fossil fuels, the state can achieve 70% of its EPA target through energy efficiency, renewable energy expansion, combined heat and power, increased natural gas usage, and coal plant efficiency upgrades. Further targets could be met by increasing efficiency goals to 2% of sales from 2015 and raising the renewable standard to 20% by 2030. These transitions are framed as economic opportunities, with potential for billions in consumer savings and thousands of new jobs.

• Missouri has the potential to lower its power generation emission rate by 21 percent below 2012 levels by 2020 and by 31 percent below 2012 levels by 2030.
• In 2012, Missouri's power generation was heavily reliant on coal at 79 percent, while nuclear, natural gas, and renewables accounted for 12 percent, 7 percent, and 2 percent respectively. Without a shift to renewables, projected electricity demand growth of 12 percent between 2012 and 2030 could lead to a 12 percent increase in emissions.
• Missouri can achieve approximately 70 percent of its EPA emission rate target between 2020 and 2030 by implementing five specific measures: improving energy efficiency, increasing renewable energy use, deploying more combined heat and power (CHP) systems, running existing and planned combined cycle (NGCC) natural gas plants at 75 percent capacity, and increasing coal plant efficiency by 2.5 percent.
• To fully meet or exceed proposed targets, the document suggests increasing the energy efficiency goal to 2 percent of sales starting in 2015 and expanding the renewable standard to 20 percent of total generation by 2030 for all utilities.
• Clean energy transitions offer significant economic benefits: Ameren Missouri estimated $1.7 billion in net benefits by 2030 from electricity reduction goals, while the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy estimated $6.1 billion in consumer savings and over 8,500 new jobs from new efficiency initiatives.

APA

World Resources Institute (2014). 5 Ways Missouri Can Meet EPA’s Proposed Power Plant Standards. https://www.wri.org/insights/5-ways-missouri-can-meet-epas-proposed-power-plant-standards

Chicago

World Resources Institute. 5 Ways Missouri Can Meet EPA’s Proposed Power Plant Standards. 2014. https://www.wri.org/insights/5-ways-missouri-can-meet-epas-proposed-power-plant-standards.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=5 Ways Missouri Can Meet EPA’s Proposed Power Plant Standards |date=10 December 2014 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/5-ways-missouri-can-meet-epas-proposed-power-plant-standards |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2014ways, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{5 Ways Missouri Can Meet EPA’s Proposed Power Plant Standards}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2014}, month = dec, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/5-ways-missouri-can-meet-epas-proposed-power-plant-standards}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }