States Expected to Continue Course Toward Clean Energy Future

In Wyoming, Republican Gov. Matt Mead is counting on a state-funded research center set to open this year to find a way to produce energy from coal without releasing carbon dioxide into the environment. In Kansas, Republican Gov. Sam Brownback is eyeing new wind farms to bring jobs and economic growth. And in Ohio, Republican Gov. John Kasich says the state needs to support renewable energy to stay competitive and reduce electricity costs.  “Ohio workers cannot afford to take a step backward from the economic gains that we have made in recent years,” Kasich said last month as he vetoed a bill that would have extended a freeze on the state’s renewable energy goals. While Republican President Donald Trump has said his focus will be on reviving the long-struggling coal industry by stripping federal environmental regulations, governors and legislatures — even in some coal-producing, conservative states — have their sights set elsewhere. As legislative sessions begin, energy analysts say they expect states to continue to advance initiatives that reduce the country’s reliance on fossil fuels. Many states will consider increasing their requirements for how much electricity used in the state must come from renewable energy sources. And more Democratic states are considering whether they should begin to cap carbon emissions to meet their clean energy goals, as California and several states in the Northeast have done in recent years.