Midwestern Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord

In 2007, governors of the diverse Midwestern states and the premier of Manitoba unified behind a commitment to advance the region toward a lower-carbon energy economy that “maximizes the energy resources and economic advantages of Midwestern states while reducing emissions of atmospheric CO2 and other greenhouse gases.” The Midwestern Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord (Midwestern Accord) is a regional agreement by six governors of states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Kansas, and the Canadian Province of Manitoba.

To support this agreement, in 2009, the Midwestern Governors Association‘s Energy Security and Climate Stewardship Roadmap: Advisory Group Recommendations outlined strategies to “capturing the enormous opportunity for the Midwest to build on its historic strengths and reclaim its position as a manufacturing powerhouse and a place of innovation.”

The accord has been inactive since March 2010, when the advisory group presented a plan for action to the association with a scheduled implementation date of January 2012. With no rescission of past policy declaration yet with no implementation of recommendations or a clear path forward, the status of the initiative today is uncertain.