Here's a quiz:
If you live in a State that has a vast resource of energy that is clean, renewable and cost competitive, what do you do?
A. Use the State's clean, domestic energy supply to provide electricity; or,
B. Consume a finite resource that is dirty, polluting and non-renewable to provide electricity
If you live in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas and Montana, your answer is B.
Those States have large Wind resources that could easily supply their States with electricity. Instead, all of those States use coal to supply more than 50% of their electricity. Here are the percentages of electricity generated using coal:
North Dakota: 91%
South Dakota: 52%
Nebraska: 66%
Minnesota: 58%
Iowa: 76%
Kansas: 73%
Montana: 62%
Here is a map of the Wind resources for the States:
rredc.nrel.gov |
