Renewable energy helps avoid thousands of tons of air emissions annually. Iowa s water and soil also benefit from renewable energy development. Energy crops, such as poplar trees and switchgrass, can protect water quality by decreasing soil erosion and lessening chemical applications, compared to other cash crops. Additionally, water quality is improved when renewable energy is used to replace nuclear power. Nuclear power plants may cause thermal pollution to water streams when the water is used in cooling towers, and increased water temperatures may affect aquatic life.
Nuclear power is also a concern for safety and disposal reasons.
To understand the relevance of homegrown energy to Iowa, the first step is to assess overall energy consumption. Iowa produces about three percent of the energy it consumes, primarily from hydropower and ethanol. 5 Coal is the most frequently used fuel type in Iowa, constituting 37 percent of total energy consumption. 6 Fossil fuels contribute more than 100 million tons of emissions to Iowa s air each year. World experts from the energy industry are projecting that as renewable energy becomes commercially accepted, prices for these resources are likely to go down.