Hearings begin this week on how to curb global warming pollution in Illinois. The series of meetings is being led by the Illinois Commerce Commission. Officials want to determine how to meet tougher federal limits on greenhouse gases. It's part of a sweeping initiative to curb carbon dioxide emitted by the nation's power plants 30 percent by 2030. Each state has a customized goal. Illinois' is 33 percent.
State officials and environmentalists say Illinois should be able to meet the limits with a mixture of power sources and energy-efficiency initiatives.
Almost 49 percent of Illinois' power came from nuclear and 41 percent from coal-fired plants in 2012. Renewable energy and natural gas supplied the rest.
The coal industry says the new rules could force power plants to close and hurt the electricity supply.
Illinois Pollution Hearings Begin
