Question of the Month
November
2006
Which Midwestern
states have adopted energy plans to help guide the decisions of
policymakers?
Many Midwestern states are seeking to
diversify their energy sources, with a goal of increased energy
independence. Increasingly, they are adopting plans to guide energy
growth while minimizing costs and increasing energy security. These
plans vary in terms of comprehensiveness, the source of the directive,
and responsibility for developing and updating them.
Since 1988, Minnesota has
required its Department of Commerce every four years to prepare a
report "designed to identify major emerging trends and issues in
energy supply, consumption, conservation and costs."
In Iowa, the Department of
Natural Resources was charged in 1990 with developing the state’s
first comprehensive energy plan and updating it biennially. The plan’s
goal is "the development, management and efficient utilization of
all energy resources in the state," and requires the department
to "evaluate existing energy utilization with regard to energy
efficiency and ... evaluate the future energy needs of the
state."
After
Kansas had become — for the first time in the 20th century
— a net importer of energy, then-Gov. Bill Graves established the
State Energy Resources Coordination Council (SERCC) in 2002, updating
the state’s original 1993 energy plan. In 2004, Gov. Kathleen
Sebelius reformulated SERCC as the Kansas Energy Council. She expanded
membership of the council and tasked it with formulating a
comprehensive state energy plan and making annual recommendations on
long-term energy policy.
Indiana
recently developed its energy plan as part of a larger, statewide
strategy for accelerating economic and agricultural growth. The
Hoosier Homegrown Energy plan was developed this year by Gov. Mitch
Daniels’ administration with the goal of meeting "as much of
Indiana’s future energy needs as possible from local sources,
creating jobs and making the state a leader in the application of
advanced energy technologies."
This year, Michigan Gov.
Jennifer Granholm issued a directive charging the chair of the
Michigan Public Service Commission with developing a comprehensive
energy plan for the state by year’s end. In Illinois and Wisconsin,
recommendations from governor-appointed task forces have begun moving
those states to rely more on renewable energy and energy efficiency.
For
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