renewable energy

Evergy announced last year its intent to build two gas plants in Kansas and one in Missouri, as well as one solar plant in each state. The projects are expected to cost more than $2.75 billion.

The majority of St. Louis' electricity comes from coal, which emits a lot of climate-warming greenhouse gases. To meet its climate goals, Mastercard is building its own solar field next to its O'Fallon data center.

In states without policies to drive renewable energy, power prices could surge as federal tax incentives for clean energy disappear, according to the think tank Energy Innovation. The firm expects rates to rise by at least 39% in Missouri and 30% in Kansas.

Scientists in a Columbia, Missouri, lab have studied how toxic chemicals affect animals and ecosystems since the 1960s. But President Trump's proposed budget would likely mean lights out. Plus: Hydroelectric power is a mainstay of the United States electrical grid, but federal hurdles could take plants offline.

Hydropower accounts for nearly 30% of utility-scale renewable energy in the U.S., but federal hurdles may prevent older hydroelectric plants from staying online and new projects from getting off the ground.

The bill is made up of dozens of policy changes governing how utilities operate in Missouri. Utility companies say they need more power plants to meet expected demand, but critics say the bill will significantly increase costs for customers.

New wind installations aren’t allowed in about one-fifth of Kansas counties, in part to protect the nation’s last, largest swath of tallgrass prairie.

Sedgwick County looked poised to clear the way for the Chisholm Trail solar project. But nearby residents expressed concerns about pollution, pushing regulators to extend a temporary ban on utility-scale solar developments.

The Kansas Sky Energy Center is projected to supply enough energy to power 30,000 homes annually for 25 years. The proposal faces pushback from local landowners over the loss of prime farmland and an overloaded stormwater system.

While solar power increased, wind energy fell in 2023 in Missouri and Illinois, according to a new report from Climate Central, a nonprofit that analyzes and reports on climate science.

As the number of wind and solar farms increases, so does opposition in the rural areas where they’re being built. While more counties and townships passed restrictions in the last year, some states are responding by passing laws making it harder for local governments to say no to wind and solar.

Production of utility-scale solar power in Kansas is expected to increase 34 times over in the next four years. But many rural Kansas communities are skeptical of out-of-state developers. Plus: A writer and photographer return to Independence, Missouri, 40 years after documenting daily life in the city.