Missouri Launches Development of Novel Comprehensive State Energy Plan

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, MARCH 6, 2026 – The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR) this week began a six-month project to develop the state’s next Comprehensive State Energy Plan. Guidehouse, selected as the contractor for the new plan, will collaborate with the department’s State Energy Program to conduct economic and power sector modeling, and demand forecasting, ultimately developing policy recommendations.

“Missouri’s energy landscape has changed dramatically over the past 10 years, and state policymakers sit at a crossroads as to how they can shape Missouri’s energy resources to benefit Missourians for decades to approach,” said Kurt Schaefer, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Shifting Energy Dynamics in Missouri

Missouri’s current electricity generation portfolio is a diverse mix of fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewable energy sources, with a recent increase in natural gas usage. The new plan will address the state’s growing reliance on imported electricity. In 2025, Missouri relied on generation from other states for over 15 percent of its electricity needs .

increased energy demand driven by data center growth and manufacturing onshoring presents both challenges and opportunities for Missouri’s economy.

A More Ambitious Plan

“The ambitious new plan will go above and beyond previous plans,” said Schaefer. “It will forecast future demand and model multiple tailor-made scenarios for the state to evaluate the costs and benefits of meeting Missouri’s energy needs. This includes investments in specific energy technologies and correcting Missouri’s reliance on electricity imports.”

The MoDNR’s State Energy Program has been conducting statewide energy planning and analysis since the 1990s to provide recommendations for Missouri’s energy future to policymakers. The last Comprehensive State Energy Plan was published in 2015 .

The department partnered with the Environmental Improvement and Energy Resources Authority (EIERA) to secure Guidehouse as the contractor . The selection process began with a request for proposals in October 2025, seeking a contractor to perform quantitative modeling and analysis of Missouri’s current and projected energy resource needs . The plan is scheduled to be completed by July 1, 2026 .

More information about the MoDNR’s vision for the energy future can be found at Division of Energy | Missouri Department of Natural Resources.