Missouri Energy Initiative

The Missouri Energy Initiative is a nonprofit association of public and private-sector entities united together to enhance energy activities in Missouri. MEI works with those interested in the stability and growth of the state’s energy sector. Private and public entities,  institutions of higher education, other nonprofit organizations and the general public are all involved. Their Mission is to work collaboratively to identify opportunities and solutions to meet Missouri’s energy needs through support and facilitation of energy economic development, education, research and pragmatic policies. Their Vision is to be Missouri’s trusted source and forum for information and solutions on innovative, reliable and affordable energy for Missouri. MEI’s Core Values: –Balanced: Members of MEI come together from all energy sectors and viewpoints to find common ground in addressing Missouri’s most critical energy issues facing us today, while developing solutions for a sustainable tomorrow. –Collaborative: They are dedicated to being inclusive, effective and efficient while providing solution-oriented information to Missouri’s elected officials, energy stakeholders and Missouri citizens. –Objective: MEI and its members strive to engage in open, factual and respectful dialogue to find solutions and provide Missouri with opportunities. History and Focus of Missouri Energy Initiative: Missouri Energy Initiative started in 2009 as a way to pursue the many challenges and opportunities presented by and in the state’s energy sector. Energy cuts across all sectors of Missouri’s economy. Clean, abundant, reliable, and affordable energy is critical to a prosperous future for the state. To bring about this future, all sectors of the state’s economy must collaborate on critical energy issues. Recent history has shown that energy costs are volatile and future indicators predict more of the same. To meet the future energy demand, Missouri needs to: -Increase energy production from traditional and renewable sources -Enhance their standard of living while using less energy through increasing their energy utilization efficiency and conserve energy This creates markets with tremendous opportunities for Missouri businesses, academic institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and other interested parties, if they can get the right organization and tools to take advantage of the possibilities. There is no silver bullet solution that will guarantee a stable energy future for Missouri. They need a “silver buckshot” approach, pursuing many avenues to continue the vitality of Missouri’s economy. Developing these avenues requires collaboration and integration across all sectors of the economy. The solution to this challenge was to create a unique approach to energy, moving the state beyond one-on-one conversations on energy issues into an environment of effective collaboration. That is a key role played by MEI.