Executive orders aimed at driving down greenhouse-gas emissions are still not enough to reach North Carolina's 50% reduction goal by 2030, a report by the Environmental Defense Fund found.

The report showed under current state policies, North Carolina is on track to shrink emissions by 28% to 38%, far below its target.

Michelle Allen, project manager of North Carolina political affairs for the Environmental Defense Fund, said there are ways to get back on track, including aggressively building greener infrastructure for electric power and public transportation.

"The electric power and the transportation sectors account for nearly 70% of the state's overall climate solutions," Allen pointed out. "Those are going to be the top two, really most critical, sectors to focus on."

The governor's executive orders require reducing energy consumption in state-owned buildings and increasing the number of zero-emission vehicles on the roads.

Allen explained North Carolina's utility commission, which is responsible for regulating electric utilities, is also in the process of developing a carbon plan.

"Which is going to outline how the electric-power sector is going to drive down climate pollution in line with these 2030 and 2050 targets," Allen noted.

According to the state's Department of Environmental Quality, poor air quality is largely driven by vehicle emissions triggering ground-level ozone or smog, and particle pollution.

Allen added taking steps to curb emissions will improve residents' health, especially those who are most vulnerable.

"The next step after that is to determine the policy solutions and programs that are going to get us to achieve those goals," Allen asserted.

Research shows on a local level, air pollution from manufacturing and industry is most commonly concentrated in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color.

By 2030, Minnesota wants 20% of all light-duty vehicles on its roads to be electric. But a lot of charging stations are needed to help achieve that goal, and clean-energy advocates say there's positive movement in that direction.

Supporters of electric vehicles, or EV's, point to Xcel Energy's new proposal, which involves adding 750 high-speed charging stations, as a big step in building up the region's capacity.

Along with commitments from other utilities there's also $68 million from the federal infrastructure law to help add locations. M.K. Anderson, senior policy associate for energy transition for Fresh Energy, said these are all important steps.

"So," said Anderson, "if all of this happens, our state will be just incredibly equipped for the EV revolution that is coming."

Xcel's plan, which still needs to be considered by regulators, includes figuring out locations in rural areas where charging stations are harder to come by.

The utility estimates roughly 8,000 public fast-charging ports are needed statewide as Minnesota prepares for the market shift toward EV's. Xcel's plan does call on ratepayers to help cover construction costs.

Right now, less than 1% of vehicle registrations in Minnesota are EV's.

Tim Sexton, chief sustainability officer and assistant commissioner for sustainability and public health with the state Department of Transportation, said boosting infrastructure will play a big role in convincing more car-buyers to change their approach.

"I think it's really important that people see those chargers out there," said Sexton, "you know, to help them think about opportunities for EVs."

As the state bolsters this infrastructure, Sexton said they're trying to be mindful of how people use these vehicles, depending on their location.

"In the Twin Cities metro," said Sexton, "a lot of people, you know, may only be driving 20 miles a day and may have access to charging at work and they don't need, necessarily, the same kind of public chargers - or at least not as frequently - as people who live in rural communities because they need to travel further."

Iowa is seen as a leader in renewable energy for sources like wind power, but tension is building in how to site such projects.

The rapid growth of wind and solar has led to policy debates at the state level on whether to add regulations, as some landowners and farm groups fight certain plans.

A new guide aims to give local officials a better grasp of proposals coming their way.

Lindsay Mouw, policy associate at the Center for Rural Affairs, said the group's guide is an alternative to state-level decision-making, informing local leaders about project elements they might not be familiar with, as they balance the needs of surrounding areas they know a lot about.

"Local decision-makers know the community and geography best," Mouw pointed out. "And are best equipped to make those decisions and listen to the concerns of their community members."

She argued providing more clarity is crucial as utilities, municipalities and other entities lay out clean-energy goals and look to build more grid capacity for renewables. With more policy debates expected at the State Capitol, the Center hopes its voluntary guide gets a strong look and is widely shared.

Local governments in Iowa have long had the final say on these projects. Mouw noted a similar effort in Indiana allows counties to be designated as primary development spots, if they so choose. She added adopting a "siting matrix" in Iowa could help keep local control, and open the door to broader engagement with the public.

"Community members are well aware of what a developer is required to meet or consider," Mouw explained. "And they will know that their local decision-makers are equipped with all of the information needed to make those decisions responsibly."

She emphasized the siting tool, already used for livestock projects in Iowa and Nebraska, can also help dispel misinformation about renewable energy development. Over the years, local opponents have raised concerns ranging from the loss of farmland to noise generated by wind turbines.

While it waits for the state to consider sharing the guide with counties across Iowa, the Center said local governments are free to use it as a template.

Idaho Power has commissioned a study which found the rate it pays for rooftop solar customers to send their power back to the grid should be lowered.

The monopoly energy company sent its study to the Idaho Public Utilities Commission for consideration, suggesting net metering rates be cut by roughly 60%.

Alex McKinley, owner of Empowered Solar in Boise, said the state has a great solar resource, but a cut in rates would likely hurt efforts to install panels on roofs.

"Their goal as an investor-owned utility is to make profits, and they see residential distributed generation as a threat to their profits," McKinley asserted. "I think that comes out pretty clearly in the way this study was conducted."

Idaho Power said a reduction in rates is a matter of fairness. It said infrastructure costs, for example, are pushed onto other customers at the current net-metering rate. The utilities commission is taking public comment on the study's results.

Mike Engle, chair of the Portneuf Resource Council, does not believe the suggested rates will kill the solar industry but noted it would take longer for customers to pay off their systems.

Engle argued it would be best to motivate people to move toward rooftop solar with the current rates because it will protect the environment and also supports local economies with jobs.

"Idaho Power and the Public Utilities Commission should ensure that all of Idaho's residents have the ability to participate in Idaho Power's goal of migrating to clean energy," Engle emphasized.

Idaho Power has committed to using 100% renewable energy by 2045. Engle is pushing for a third party to evaluate the numbers in Idaho Power's study.

McKinley noted Idaho and other states are feeling the pressure from a changing climate, putting strain on energy grids.

"Distributed generation makes the whole grid more resilient," McKinley stressed. "The public, whether they're someone who has rooftop solar or not, wants a more resilient grid."