Electricity is something that in today’s modern world would be almost impossible to live without. However, do we really know the true cost of this energy? Smog, pollution, and acid rain are all results of generating electricity from non-renewable sources. It’s time to take a look at the story behind flipping on that light switch.
The Midwest Power Grid
Electrical energy can be produced in different ways and there are generally four different ways to do this.
- Coal
- Natural gas
- Nuclear
- Renewable
Of these, Coal is the number one source for power production. Don Eveker, an electrical engineer who works at Ameren stated, “Ameren Missouri generates 5,353 Mega Watts (MW) from coal; 1,193 MW from nuclear; 2,844 MW from Natural Gas or Oil Fired Combustion Turbines, and 18 MW from Renewable Energy.”
As this infographic suggests, the Midwest is heavily dependent on coal and nuclear but does not utilize the relatively new renewable sources such as wind and solar.
Emission Trouble
Generating power’s impact on the environment is largely due to the pollutants released into the atmosphere during the production stage. The main culprits of emissions are coal and natural gas. The infographic below demonstrates the pollutants that escape into the atmosphere from each energy source.
It is important to note that while renewable energy emits no emissions, it is the least popular source of electricity for the Midwest states except Iowa. Meanwhile coal plants are widely used and the emissions for these result in the most destruction in the environment.
Thinking Green
The future of energy is headed towards “more renewable energy used, as cost of generation and system integration improves,” Don Eveker suggests. Creating a system completely on solar panels and wind turbines will not happen overnight, but there are small steps that can be taken to reach this goal. David Williams from Missouri Renewable Energy is optimistic in this plan and suggests being “less grid oriented and investing in a solar panel for single homes.” David shared a story of a retired worker who installed solar panels on his garage and was able to cut his utility bill by 60%.
Ways To Reduce
Learning the sources and impacts of using electricity is enlightening and may encourage some to reduce their use of this resource often taken for granted. The Saint Louis University Sustainability Office strives every year to decrease the electricity used on campus. His tactics for tackling such a large space and population are:
- Residential Hall energy conservation competitions
- Replacing light bulbs with LEDs
- Efficient cooling and heating systems
- Installing insulating windows
Spencer Ruggles, the Graduate Assistant at Saint Louis University Sustainability Office was able to report a decrease of 55,798,732,232 British Thermal Units (BTU) at Saint Louis University from the 2015 – 2016 fiscal years.
To discover the exact location of the power plants that help to power your home, follow this map that will direct through the largest coal, nuclear, natural gas, and renewable energy sites of Missouri.
Sources:
- Spencer Ruggles, Graduate Assistant of Saint Louis University Sustainability Office
- Don Eveker, Electrical Engineer at Ameren Illinois
- David Williams, Missouri Renewable Energy
Annie Eveker 
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