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In 2008, Iowa imported all the coal used by its power plants, resulting in $496 million leaving the state, primarily to Wyoming. Coal accounted for 76.1% of Iowa's electricity generation, making the state the second most dependent on net imports as a share of total power use (78%). To reduce this dependence, Iowa is utilizing energy efficiency programs and renewable energy, specifically wind power, where it has over 3,600 megawatts of installed capacity.

In 2008, Kansas imported over 99 percent of the coal used by its power plants, primarily from Wyoming, resulting in a net outflow of $516 million. Coal provided 72.9 percent of the state's electricity mix. The document argues that investing in energy efficiency and leveraging the state's high technical potential for wind and bioenergy could reduce this dependence and boost the local economy.

In 2008, Michigan imported all the coal used by its power plants, resulting in an economic drain of $1.36 billion. The state's electricity generation relied on coal for over 60% of its needs, with Detroit Edison's Monroe facility identified as the most import-dependent plant. To reduce this dependence and stimulate the local economy, the document advocates for investments in energy efficiency and homegrown renewable energy, noting that Michigan has the technical potential to produce nearly twice its 2008 electricity needs from renewables, primarily wind and bioenergy.

In 2008, Mississippi relied on coal for 34.6% of its electricity generation, importing over 70% of that coal and spending $457 million out of state. The document argues that the state can reduce this dependence by investing in energy efficiency—noting that 2007 ratepayer-funded efficiency spending was 1,400 times lower per person than spending on imported coal—and by utilizing local renewable resources such as forestry by-products, switchgrass, solar, and geothermal energy.

Missouri is highly dependent on imported coal, spending $1.13 billion in 2008 to import over 99% of the coal used by its power plants. The document highlights that this expenditure represents a significant economic drain, suggesting that energy efficiency standards and renewable energy resources, such as wind and bioenergy, could redirect funds back into the local economy.

In 2008, Nebraska imported all the coal used by its power plants from Wyoming, resulting in $198 million leaving the state. Coal provided 66.3% of the state's electricity mix that year. The document argues that Nebraska could reduce this dependence by investing in energy efficiency—noting that 2007 spending on efficiency programs was 200 times lower per capita than spending on net coal imports—and by leveraging its wind and bioenergy resources through a renewable electricity standard.

North Carolina spent $2.35 billion on imported coal in 2008, ranking second among US states for total net imports. The document highlights that the state relies on coal for 60.5% of its electricity generation despite having no in-state coal supplies. It advocates for a transition to energy efficiency and homegrown renewables, such as biomass, solar, wind, and small-scale hydropower, to reduce this economic drain and improve energy independence.

Ohio experienced a significant economic drain in 2008 due to its heavy reliance on imported coal, spending a net $1.49 billion on these imports. The document highlights that coal provided 85.2% of the state's electricity in 2008 and suggests that transitioning to energy efficiency and homegrown renewables, such as wind and solar, can stimulate local economic development and increase energy independence.

Tennessee spent a net $1.21 billion on imported coal in 2008, importing over 99 percent of the coal used by its power plants. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is the primary purchaser of these imports, with the Cumberland plant identified as the state's most import-dependent facility. To reduce this economic drain, the document suggests adopting an energy efficiency resource standard and a renewable electricity standard, noting that wind, solar, small-scale hydropower, and biomass could technically meet up to 60 percent of the state's 2008 power demand.

In 2008, Texas imported 63 percent of the coal used for its electricity generation, primarily from Wyoming, resulting in $1.91 billion leaving the state. While Texas leads the US in wind energy capacity, the document argues that its energy efficiency targets remain modest compared to other states and that the state possesses significant untapped renewable energy potential.

The author, a Shell executive, asserts that achieving a sustainable energy future requires integrating sustainable development into business decisions and establishing a collaborative relationship between governments and industry. Shell utilizes 'scenarios' to navigate energy uncertainty and advocates for the 'Blueprints' model, which emphasizes anticipation of environmental issues. The paper highlights carbon capture and storage (CCS) as a critical technology for large emitters, noting that public policy and financial support, such as carbon pricing, are essential for its commercial viability. Using examples from Wyoming and Brazil, the author demonstrates how industry can manage environmental risks and community concerns. Finally, the document emphasizes that governments must appreciate the immense costs, long lead times, and technical challenges of energy production—exemplified by the Perdido project—to set workable regulations.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) successfully influenced the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to withdraw a 2006 proposal to list Graham's penstemon, a rare wildflower found in Utah and Colorado, as a threatened species. Internal documents reveal the BLM formed a "strike team" specifically to prevent this listing to facilitate oil and gas and oil shale development. The BLM provided misleading data regarding the plant's habitat slopes and falsely claimed no overlap between the species' habitat and potential oil shale development zones. Despite these assurances, a 2008 Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) opened over 90 percent of the proposed critical habitat for commercial oil shale leasing. Conservation groups subsequently sued the FWS in 2008, alleging the agency ignored scientific evidence and relied on unproven BLM conservation measures.

In April 2004, air quality modelers from nine EPA regional offices protested a policy change allowing states to select their own baseline years for measuring pollution in 'Class I' areas. This policy emerged from a compromise with North Dakota, which had been out of compliance with the Clean Air Act regarding Theodore Roosevelt National Park, hindering plans for new coal-fired power plants. EPA scientists argued the change 'artificially inflate[s]' baselines to mask policy changes and feared it would set a national precedent, as other states like Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming sought to follow suit.

The report details how U.S. power plants impact water resources through massive withdrawals and the discharge of heated, chemically treated water. It highlights the ecological damage caused by once-through cooling systems—such as fish impingement and entrainment—and the risks of toxic chemical leaks from coal ash ponds. The document argues for a transition to closed-cycle and dry-cooling technologies to mitigate these effects and ensure power system reliability during droughts. It also critiques the current state-led enforcement of the Clean Water Act, calling for more consistent federal standards and cumulative impact assessments.

The report examines the significant water demands of fossil fuel power plants in the Interior West, highlighting the environmental risks of cooling systems and the potential for water savings through dry cooling, energy efficiency, and renewables.

The document details legal actions taken by Earthjustice and conservation groups to protect grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem from habitat destruction and the removal of Endangered Species Act protections. It highlights how climate change has caused the loss of key food sources, such as whitebark pine seeds and cutthroat trout, forcing bears toward meat-based diets that increase human-wildlife conflict and contribute to a declining population trend observed between 2007 and 2013.

The report details how fossil fuel companies use paid advertising and 'organic' content on platforms like TikTok, Meta, Google, and X/Twitter to control the narrative around carbon capture and storage (CCS). It highlights Chevron's use of a 'low-budget' aesthetic and diverse ambassadors on TikTok to target Gen-Z, and the prevalence of industry-sponsored results at the top of Google searches for 'carbon capture'. The analysis also notes a trend where organic opposition to CCS on social media is sometimes driven by conspiracy theories, such as those involving 'The Great Reset' or vaccines, alongside good-faith scientific criticism.

The document details the regulatory framework of the EPA's Underground Injection Control (UIC) program, specifically Class VI wells used for carbon capture and storage (CCS). It outlines stringent requirements for site characterization, construction, monitoring, and financial responsibility to protect underground sources of drinking water. As of December 2023, 12 Class VI wells have been permitted in the U.S., with 178 additional applications submitted. The text emphasizes the need for increased funding and state primacy to alleviate permitting bottlenecks and support the rapid expansion of the CCS market driven by the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Since the 2018 45Q reform, 84 carbon management projects have been announced in the U.S., with a significant surge in 2021. The majority of these projects are industrial-sector initiatives utilizing saline storage, though regional infrastructure in the Midwest is enabling ethanol projects. The power sector accounts for 23% of projects, primarily natural gas and coal plants, while only one large-scale Direct Air Capture plant is planned.

The document highlights superhot rock geothermal as a scalable, carbon-free energy source that could significantly exceed Wyoming's current electricity needs while utilizing the state's existing oil and gas expertise.