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The document describes how wind, solar, and biomass energy can provide long-term income and operational savings for U.S. farmers. It highlights specific economic projections from the U.S. Department of Energy, such as the potential for wind energy to create 80,000 jobs and $1.2 billion in income by 2020, and the potential for tripled biomass use to generate $20 billion in new income. The text details the practical applications of these technologies—including turbine leasing, perennial energy crops, and solar-powered farm operations—and notes the availability of federal incentives via the 2002 Farm Bill and various state-level policies like net metering.

The document argues that coal-fired power plants are the largest unregulated source of mercury in the U.S., contributing significantly to the contamination of fish in the Midwest. It details how mercury bioaccumulates in aquatic food chains, posing severe risks to the central nervous system of fetuses and children, as well as harming wildlife like common loons and otters. The report highlights the economic threat to the regional fishing industry and advocates for stringent federal and state emission limits and better regulation of coal combustion waste.

The report details the impact of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from coal-fired power plants in six Midwest states, highlighting that these plants account for 30 percent of total annual regional emissions. It argues that current EPA regulations, such as the summertime-only SIP call, are insufficient because they ignore wintertime pollution and exclude certain states. The document links NOx to ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which cause respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, premature deaths, and crop yield losses. Environmental impacts include acid rain, loss of species diversity, and the Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone'. The author advocates for mandatory year-round modern emission controls, such as Selective Catalytic Removal (SCR), for all 'grandfathered' plants.

The document asserts that human use of fossil fuels has disrupted the Earth's climate balance, leading to a one degree Fahrenheit increase in global mean temperature over the last century. While some regions like the Midwest might see initial benefits such as increased crop yields, the text warns that failure to reduce emissions could lead to temperature increases of 5 to 10 °F, resulting in severe consequences for the U.S. and dire outcomes for poor developing countries.

The report highlights that six Midwest states (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio) are home to 140 power plants that release approximately 2% of global man-made CO2 and 25% of all US power plant CO2. It predicts that without aggressive emissions reductions, the region could see temperature increases of 5-10°F in the 21st century, leading to significant risks for the Great Lakes water levels, crop yields, and human health. The document advocates for cleaning up old coal plants, transitioning to renewable energy, and increasing individual energy efficiency to mitigate these risks.

The document details the significant contribution of Midwest power plants to US sulfur emissions, noting that coal combustion in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin releases millions of tons of sulfur dioxide annually. It emphasizes that 'grandfathered' plants exploit Clean Air Act loopholes to avoid using scrubbers, which can remove 90-95% of emissions, leading to severe health issues and environmental damage.

The report argues that 51 coal-fired power plants in the U.S. have illegally avoided modern pollution controls by exploiting a 'grandfathering' loophole in the Clean Air Act, leading to significant public health crises. Drawing on data from Abt Associates, the Clean Air Task Force estimates that these plants cause between 5,500 and 9,000 premature deaths and 107,000 to 170,000 asthma attacks annually. The report highlights a 'transport of death and disease' where pollution from plants in the Midwest and Southeast impacts the Northeast. It criticizes the Bush Administration's 2001 review of NSR policy as prioritizing industry efficiency over public health and calls for the closure of the 'lethal loophole' through nationwide emission caps on nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, mercury, and carbon dioxide.

The document outlines the three-stage process of carbon capture and storage (CCS)—capture, transport, and storage—and argues that the Midwest is uniquely positioned for deployment due to its industrial profile and geologic formations. It highlights the Illinois Basin, specifically the Mount Simon sandstone and Eau Claire formation, as a premier storage resource with an estimated capacity to store over 147 billion metric tons of CO2. The text notes that CCS can reduce harmful air pollutants and create between 8,050 and 11,880 operational jobs in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. Financial viability is driven by the 45Q tax credit, which offers up to $180/MT depending on the method of capture and storage. Safety and regulatory oversight are managed by the EPA's Underground Injection Control Program and PHMSA.

Hourly rainfall intensity in 126 U.S. cities has increased by an average of 15% since 1970, with the heaviest 1% of downpours intensifying most in the Northeast (+60%) and Midwest (+45%) between 1958 and 2021. Future warming of 2°C is projected to increase precipitation during the heaviest events by an average of 17% across U.S. counties. The document highlights that flood risks disproportionately affect people of color, those in mobile homes, and Black communities along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, noting that rainfall changes between 1988 and 2017 caused approximately $73 billion in flood damages.

The report finds that a majority of Americans in 2012 were unfamiliar with fracking and undecided about whether to support or oppose it. Among those who had formed an opinion, views were split, though a slim majority viewed the practice as 'bad'. Support and opposition varied significantly by gender, age, political affiliation, and geographic region, with conservatives and older males more supportive, and liberals, younger people, and residents of the Northeast and West more opposed. Associations with fracking were primarily divided between environmental concerns (linked to opposition) and economic or energy supply benefits (linked to support).

The report investigates 'beneficial electrification'—the replacement of fossil-fuel end-use equipment with electric alternatives to reduce carbon emissions and costs—within Midwest rural electric cooperatives. While 88% of these co-ops offer energy upgrade or loan programs, the research found no 'fully beneficial electrification program' in the Midwest that combines conversion incentives, a net carbon reduction goal, verification processes, and energy audits. The document highlights the potential of cold climate air-source heat pumps (ccHP) and heat pump water heaters to provide grid flexibility and member savings. It emphasizes 'equitable beneficial electrification' (EBE), advocating for inclusive on-bill financing that removes credit score barriers and attaches loans to the meter to support low-income members and renters. Case studies from cooperatives in Washington, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Minnesota illustrate various models of on-bill tariffs and community solar projects used to reduce energy burdens.

The report projects substantial warming and shifting precipitation patterns for the US Midwest, with extreme heat events and heavy rainfall becoming more frequent. Under a higher emissions scenario, end-of-century temperatures could rise by up to 10°F, significantly increasing the frequency of severe heat waves and reducing snow cover. While annual precipitation may only increase slightly, winter and spring are expected to become wetter, while summer precipitation may decrease under higher emissions. These changes are projected to increase heat-related mortality and flooding risks across the region.

The U.S. electricity system relies heavily on freshwater, with cooling power plants accounting for 41 percent of all freshwater withdrawals. This dependence creates a 'collision' where energy production competes with municipal, agricultural, and ecosystem needs, a situation exacerbated by global warming. The report details regional risks—such as hydropower instability in the Northwest and cooling water shortages in the Southeast—and highlights low-water alternatives like wind, solar photovoltaic, and dry-cooling systems.

The document details how a warming climate will increase the frequency and severity of heat waves and heavy precipitation in the Midwest, leading to higher mortality, infrastructure damage, and agricultural losses. It highlights specific risks to the Great Lakes shipping industry due to falling water levels and the threat to public health from water-borne diseases and combined sewer overflows in cities like Chicago and Milwaukee.

The document presents the first estimates of manufacturing subsector-specific energy use for the 10 member states of the Midwestern Governors Association (MGA). It aims to fill a data gap where public sources only provide general manufacturing data, thereby enabling policymakers to better identify energy efficiency potential and strategies that balance environmental and economic outcomes. The paper combines energy-use data with state-by-state policy summaries to highlight trends in industrial energy efficiency and cost competitiveness.

The report analyzes greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Utilizing the World Resources Institute's Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT-US), it examines all six Kyoto GHGs across the regional economy to overcome inconsistencies in previous state-level inventories. The analysis covers regional, sectoral, and state levels, assessing major emission sources, trends, and socioeconomic drivers to inform stakeholders on the Midwest's role in global climate change.

The document outlines the framework for a potential cap-and-trade program in the Midwest, following the 2007 Greenhouse Gas Accord. It details the essential design components the region must consider, including the scope of coverage, the setting of emissions caps and reduction trajectories, the distribution of emission allowances, and the implementation of cost-containment measures such as early reduction and project-based offset credits. Additionally, it addresses the possibility of linking the regional program with other similar initiatives.

The report examines energy efficiency in the U.S. pulp and paper sector, specifically focusing on facilities in the Midwest. It argues that investing in efficiency to reach national average levels can lead to significant annual cost savings and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The analysis is framed against a backdrop of industry consolidation, where value-added grew by 8 percent between 2002 and 2011 despite a 30 percent decline in employment. The document aims to provide state-level policymakers and businesses with facility-level data and case studies to make energy efficiency opportunities more visible and less abstract.

The report argues that large-scale US dairies can reach net zero emissions within five years by integrating specific technologies and practices, potentially increasing annual net returns to $1.9 million per dairy. Key strategies include precision agriculture, feed additives to reduce enteric methane, and anaerobic digesters that convert manure and organic substrates into renewable energy and fertilizers. The analysis emphasizes that while technologies exist, achieving these goals requires significant policy shifts, such as expanded water quality trading markets and improved EPA processing of renewable fuel pathways.