The Midwest can move away from its dependency on fossil fuels and develop a powerful new energy economy.

• Move away from coal. The Midwest depends disproportionately on coal power to generate its electricity.
  

  Nationwide, coal provides about 50% of electrical power generation. However, almost 75% of Kansas's electricity comes from coal, and it ranks 10th in the country for per capita emissions of greenhouse gases from electric plants.
  
  Human health. Coal plants emit millions of tons of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming and causes climate change. They also release mercury and other gases that pose risks to human health. The health problems from environmental pollutants contributes to hidden costs that all consumers must bear, such as higher rates for health insurance.
  
  Environment and Economy. Carbon emissions lead to climate changes that alter the environment and create extreme weather. This cycle endangers agricultural economies that are already at risk from the fluctuations of even normal weather cycles.
  
  Vulnerable. Coal supplies travel to the Midwest over hundreds of miles of railroad tracks, exposed to disruptions from extreme weather or terrorism.
  
  

• Support Renewable, Sustainable Local Power. Renewable energy could spur rural economic development in the Midwest, and help the region become energy independent.
  
  

  Economic Potential. Renewable energy creates 40% more jobs per dollar of investment when compared to coal-fired plants. Wind power creates 2.77 jobs for every megawatt (MW) produced, solar (photovoltaic) creates 7.24 jobs per MW, and geothermal creates 5.67 jobs per MW.
  
  Less Impact. All technologies have some sort of environmental impact. However, renewable energies have far less air pollution and impact on wildlife than do energies generated from current fossil fuel technologies.
  
  Strong Local Networks. Communities that produce more of their own energy strengthen their own infrastructure, and also the nation's. When electrical grids receive their power from several sources, they can recover more quickly from extreme weather or blackouts. This concept is called distributed generation.
  
  

• Honor Traditional Values of Rural Stewardship. Kansas communities who approach renewable energy in a sustainable manner must keep their history in mind, as well as a long-term view of the future.
  
  

  Stewardship, Sustainability, and Prudence
  

  • Preserving community values and identity, and safeguarding the earth's resources for future generations.
  • Developing flexible, resilient energy and food systems that have the strength and diversity necessary to survive disruptions in climate or national security.
  • Keeping environmental impacts at a manageable scale that do not pose risks to human health, wildlife, water, soil, air, or general environmental quality.
    

  Rural Economic Development
  

  • Evaluating the benefits and burdens of different energy technologies according to their life cycle costs, which includes their long-term impact on the environment.
  • Increasing and stabilizing the local tax base by keeping a good portion of the profits in the local community, rather than losing the income to large, non-local developers.
  • Developing a strong energy infrastructure that will attract additional businesses interested in clean energy.