Article originally published by WUWM 89.7 Milwaukee’s NPR
…Coal-fired power, which produces carbon emissions, provides about half of Wisconsin’s electricity. That’s five times what comes from renewables, including solar, wind, biomass and hydroelectric. Renewables are expected to grow through utility-scale solar farms, solar panels on more homes and businesses, and possibly more wind turbines.
Harvard University School of Public Health researcher Jonathan Buonocore looked at 10 regions of the U.S. electrical grid and calculated the health benefits of reducing carbon. He says the Upper Midwest would gain the most from less coal and more renewables…
He says cleaner air could mean fewer cases of lung disease, heart disease, and stroke. Possibly also fewer problems with low birth weight and pre-term birth. Buonocore says burning coal can create problems across a big footprint… (see EnergyOnWI News, June 2019, Energy Efficiency Saves Lives)