Environmental Law Blog

Rock Port, a small Missouri town of approximately 1,300 residents, just became the first town in the nation to fully support its energy needs with wind energy.

With the help of the University of Missouri's Northwest Extension Office, Rock Port harnessed its high concentration of wind resources to develop a wind energy system suitable for utility-scale wind development. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Northwest Missouri contains a number of locations with potential suitability for wind development.

According to the St. Louis Business Journal, wind farms will bring in more than $1.1 million annually in county real estate taxes, to be paid by Wind Capital Group, a wind energy developer based in St. Louis.

In addition to increased tax revenue, landowners can make money leasing part of their property to Wind Capital Group for the operation of wind turbines. Moreover, electricity from the wind turbines is expected to meet the community's energy needs for the next 15-20 years, without the threat of rate increases.

Rock Port decided to "go green" without any state economic incentive packages. In fact, Missouri does not offer any incentives for individuals or communities to switch to renewable energy resources or adopt greener energy policies.

What do you think would make a good incentive package? Let's brainstorm some realistic incentive packages for Missouri's energy future.