Full Title: Wind Power: An Opportunity for Illinois
Author(s): Don Fullerton
Publisher(s): University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs
Publication Date: September 1, 2015
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
The scientific consensus on climate change strongly concludes that human activities causing greenhouse gas emissions are the most significant driver of observed climate change. The primary greenhouse gas emitted through human activities is carbon dioxide (CO2) from burning fossil fuels. Within the United States, the largest source of this carbon pollution is power plants, which account for roughly one-third of all domestic emissions.
This major influence on climate change prompted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in August 2015 to issue the ‘Clean Power Plan’. This rule will require 32 percent cuts in carbon pollution from the power sector below 2005 levels by 2030. The EPA intends to keep energy affordable and reliable, while cutting pollution and protecting the health and environment of American citizens.