sustainable energy

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.

The U.S. Department of Energy said it canceled a loan guarantee for the transmission project, which would transport wind energy generated in Kansas to Missouri and other Midwest states, because it was not a responsible use of taxpayer money. Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley had advocated for the cancellation.

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.

The $7 billion clean-energy project would stretch from Kansas to Indiana, and is designed to bring wind and solar energy to communities across the region. It's scheduled to begin construction this year and be completed in 2028.

Several city projects that received federal funding are in limbo after a slew of executive orders targeting clean energy and diversity efforts.

City Manager Brian Platt first announced plans for a solar array at Kansas City International Airport, potentially the largest of its kind in the world, more than two years ago. But little has seemingly happened to move the progress forward.

Kansas City is finishing its campaign of installing LED streetlights that they say promote green sustainability. But activists say it's just a band-aid on the city's bigger climate problem. Plus: Why Kansas musician Freedy Johnston returned to his small hometown to paint a mural.

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 rules will affect new residential construction projects funded by the federal Housing and Rural Development agency. Now, lawmakers are pushing the agency that oversees the nation’s two largest mortgage backers to adopt similar measures.

In Kansas City, the federal sustainability funds could help boost composting efforts, add bike trails, plant more trees, expand electric vehicle charging, and tackle energy efficiency projects.

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.