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Indiana is booming. Smart leadership, sound policy and one of the most productive workforces in the nation have made us a paradigm of success. Wages for families are increasing. Investment in our local communities continues to pay off in the form of more tax revenue to fund critical services. These are just some of the examples of the groundwork we are laying for a more prosperous future for Hoosiers.
Take a look at Fort Wayne and Allen County. New investments in 2024 alone have pushed salaries 18% higher than the county’s average wage. This helps give families a leg up and keeps Indiana-grown talent in Indiana for the long term. Much of this investment is helping build the U.S. economy for the 21st century.
Keeping the momentum going means we must work together to achieve smart growth. Recently, there has been a great deal of attention paid to Indiana’s efforts to grow our energy capacity to power our industrial economy for the long-haul. These conversations are essential to ensure we advance solutions to our most pressing challenges so we can continue to make our economy thrive.
Fortunately, Indiana’s private sector partners are on the forefront of this growth and taking proactive steps to address energy demand. Google’s partnership with CTC Global is a great example of organizations working together to enhance our grid and help tackle our need for more energy. This partnership will work to identify areas to deploy advanced conductors across our electric grid. These technologies carry more power than standard transmission lines but can be used on existing infrastructure, meaning that more electricity can flow to homes and businesses when they need it, while keeping prices stable.
This announcement helps build on the success seen at the Statehouse this year. Strong progress was made on energy policy, incentivizing the players in the energy conversation to come together and take our state’s economy to the next level. Indiana Michigan Power’s agreement around interconnection rules for large-load customers put our state on a path to draw more investment to our communities. Solutions like these can only be found when we work together and put the needs of our communities first.
At the national level, the Trump administration has made it clear that returning the United States to being the global energy leader is a top priority. Not only is energy production and delivery essential for our national security but it also helps ensure that the United States, with Indiana leading the way, is well equipped to beat China in the AI race. To make this a reality, we must welcome investment here in Indiana and implement policy that backs it up.
Gov. Mike Braun recently reinforced his commitment to making Indiana a national energy leader by harnessing an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy while prioritizing the development of nuclear energy. A recent Purdue University study said that Indiana has the opportunity to deploy 24/7 carbon free electricity with the proliferation of small modular reactors. These reactors can be built in less time than traditional reactors, their construction will bring thousands of jobs to our state and they can secure Indiana’s role as an energy innovation leader.
Our neighbors in the Midwest continue to over-tax and over-regulate development, but here in Indiana, it is a different story. Our economy continues to grow. More talent is flocking here. Wages for families are on the rise. By working together, citizens, businesses and government, we can harness the opportunity before us and build a stronger state for generations to come.•
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Zay, a Republican, represents District 17 in the Indiana Senate.
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