Congress entered the second week of its August recess this week. However, there was plenty going on away from Capitol Hill.
The Department of Energy released three reports about wind power. Wind power continues to enjoy strong growth in the United States, representing 27% of added energy capacity in 2016. Wind power is also particularly important to several states in the Mississippi River Basin. For example, Iowa generates more than 30% of its energy from wind, a number which is expected to increase.
The US Army Corps of Engineers released its draft report of the Brandon Road study this week. The long-awaited study looks at possible structures to be used to prevent the spread of Asian Carp from the Mississippi River to the Great Lakes via the Chicago Area Water System.
Another report was released this week, likely earlier than the White House intended. A scientific report, part of the quadrennial National Climate Assessment, was released this week. The report concluded that the United States is already being affected by global warming. This is particularly relevant to the Mississippi River Basin as, according to a study recently published in Science, increased rainfall due to global climate change will substantially exacerbate the problem of agricultural runoff pollution in the river.
