Midwest Energy News
A lawsuit filed on Monday alleges that state government has interfered with fulfillment of the law’s mandate.
“We have the facade of a renewable energy standard that is not making any meaningful change,” said P.J. Wilson, executive director of Renew Missouri.
The lawsuit, filed by the Great Rivers Environmental Law Center, contends that the Joint Commission on Administrative Rules (JCAR)—a group of 10 Missouri legislators that reviews state rules and regulations—removed two important paragraphs in the law, allowing utilities an end run around the new renewable standard. The passage that was eliminated requires the state’s four major investor-owned utilities to invest in renewable power produced either in Missouri or an adjacent state.
“The utilities argue that they should be able to buy credits from anywhere in the country,” said Henry Robertson, the Great Rivers attorney who filed the suit.
That, incidentally, is the objective of model legislation developed this year by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conservative group that has attempted and failed to repeal renewable energy standards throughout the country.
The problem with that approach, as Robertson sees it, is that it doesn’t foster development in Missouri of solar, wind or biomass energy sources—one of the primary objectives of the state’s renewable standard.
Warren Wood, vice president of regulatory and legislative affairs for the utility company Ameren Missouri, said they have already invested “significantly” in renewable energy. He cited more than 100 megawatts they’re buying from Iowa, as well as a landfill gas power plant now producing electricity near St. Louis.
Renewable power sells for less in other states than it would cost to generate in Missouri, he said, and Ameren owes it to its customers to keep rates as low as possible.
“That’s called prudence,” Wood said. “If we bought (renewable energy) locally, we’d be criticized.”
Proposition C, passed by 66 percent of voters in 2008, requires that the state’s major utilities draw on renewable sources to provide two percent of their power now, five percent in 2014 and at least 15 percent by 2021.
Proposition C was passed with the aim of fostering the development of renewable energy in Missouri, Robertson said. But other than some small-scale rooftop solar projects, he said, “the RES has done nothing.”
The Public Service Commission spent two contentious years developing rules, and then, in 2010, JCAR opted to disapprove of the language requiring renewables to be generated or purchased from Missouri or some place close by.
Robertson claims the commission caved in to pressure from utility companies. Cindy Kadlec, general counsel for the commission, pointed out that people with other viewpoints made them known to the commission.
The lawsuit alleges that the legislative commission’s disapproval of a small part of the regulations was unconstitutional, and that the secretary of state and the Public Service Commission should have insisted on including that section.
“JCAR’s action was not only unconstitutional, it was also an infringement on a state agency’s ability to have its own rules published, as well as an infringement on the people’s right to enact legislation by initiative petition,” said Heather Navarro of Missouri Coalition for the Environment.
Wilson, from Renew Missouri, said he is puzzled as to why Missouri utilities seem so resistant to building a renewable energy industry in Missouri. As with coal and gas-fired plants, the utilities can be compensated for expenses and more.
“If they would build a wind farm, their rate of return would be nine to 12 percent,” Wilson said. “There’s money to be made there.”
Visit EcoWatch’s RENEWABLES pages for more related news on this topic.
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Here are three new films to watch this Earth Week that will transport you from pole to pole and introduce you to the scientists and activists working to save our shared home.
1. The Year Earth Changed
Where to Watch: Apple TV+
When to Watch: From April 16
The coronavirus pandemic has brought home the stakes of humanity's impact on the environment. But the lockdowns also proved how quickly nature can recover when humans give it the space. Birds sang in empty cities, whales surfaced in Glacier Bay and capybara roamed the South American suburbs.
The Year Earth Changed captures this unique year with footage from more than 30 lockdowned cities between May 2020 to January 2021. Narrated by renowned wildlife broadcaster David Attenborough, the film explores what positive lessons we can take from the experience of a quieter, less trafficked world.
"What the film shows is that the natural world can bounce back remarkably quickly when we take a step back and reduce our impact as we did during lockdown," executive producer Alice Keens-Soper of BBC Studios Natural History Unit told EcoWatch. "If we are willing to make even small changes to our habits, the natural world can flourish. We need to learn how to co-exist with nature and understand that we are not separate from it- for example if we closed some of our beaches at for a few weeks during the turtle breeding we see that it can make a huge difference to their success. There are many ways that we can adapt our behavior to allow the natural world to thrive as it did in lockdown."
2. After Antarctica
Where to Watch: San Francisco International Film Festival
When to Watch: 12 a.m. PST April 9 to 11:59 p.m. April 18
In 1989, Will Steger led an international team of six scientists and explorers to be the first humans to cross Antarctica by dogsled. Steger and his team weren't just in it for the adventure. They also wanted to draw attention to the ways in which the climate crisis was already transforming the icy continent and to rally support for the renewal of the Antarctic Treaty, which would keep the continent safe from extractive industries.
In After Antarctica, award-winning filmmaker Tasha Van Zandt follows Steger 30 years later as he travels the Arctic this time, reflecting on his original journey and once again bringing awareness to changes in a polar landscape. The film intersperses this contemporary journey with footage from the original expedition, some of which has never been seen before.
"Will's life journey as an explorer and climate activist has led him not only to see more of the polar world than anyone else alive today, but to being an eyewitness to the changes occurring across both poles," Van Zandt told EcoWatch. "But now, these changes are happening in all of our own backyards and we have all become eyewitnesses. Through my journey with Will, I have learned that although we cannot always control change, we can change our response. I feel strongly that this is a message that resonates when we look at the current state of the world, as we each have power and control over how we choose to respond to hardships, and we all have the power to unite with others through collective action around a common goal."
After Antarctica is available to stream once you purchase a ticket to the San Francisco International Film Festival. If you miss it this weekend, it will screen again at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival from May 13 to May 23.
Tasha Van Zandt
3. The Race to Save the World
Where to Watch: Virtual Cinema
When to Watch: From Earth Day, April 22
While many films about the climate crisis seek to raise awareness about the extent of the problem, The Race to Save the World focuses on the people who are trying to stop it. The film tells the story of climate activists ranging from 15-year-old Aji to 72-year-old Miriam who are working to create a sustainable future. It follows them from the streets to the courtroom to their homes, and explores the impact of their advocacy on their personal lives and relationships.
Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker Joe Gantz told EcoWatch that he wanted to make a film about climate change, but did not want to depress viewers with overwhelming statistics. Instead, he chose to inspire them by sharing the stories of people trying to make a difference.
"Unless millions of people take to the streets and make their voices heard for a livable future, the politicians are not going to get on board to help make the changes needed for a sustainable future," Gantz told Ecowatch. "I think that The Race To Save The World will energize and inspire people to take action so that future generations, as well as the plants, animals and ecosystems, can survive and thrive on this planet."
Check back with EcoWatch on the morning of Earth Day for a special preview of this inspiring film!