Divisive solar-power bill heads to governor
Critics say the legislation will discourage the use of residential solar and hamper the solar industry in Indiana. But supporters say it will help protect consumers who don’t have solar.
Critics say the legislation will discourage the use of residential solar and hamper the solar industry in Indiana. But supporters say it will help protect consumers who don’t have solar.
The Logansport Municipal Utilities’ power plant burned through the last of its coal in January 2016 before shutting down.
The bill was approved Wednesday by an 8-5 vote and goes to the full House for consideration. It’s already been approved by the Senate.
Environmental groups that have hired scores of new lawyers in recent months are prepared to go to court to fight an order from President Donald Trump that eliminates many restrictions on fossil fuel production and would roll back plans to curb global warming.
Trump will sign an executive order Tuesday that begins unraveling a raft of rules and directives to combat climate change.
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers—which represents a dozen major car manufacturers including General Motors, Ford, Fiat Chrysler and Toyota—praised Trump’s action.
Kentucky’s legislature is close to lifting its decades-long moratorium on nuclear energy in a state that has been culturally and economically dominated by coal.
A reinterpreted Indiana statute has created headaches for artisan distilleries and farm wineries, as well as tourists with children. A new bill aims to fix the problem.
Jim Atterholt, a former lawmaker, most recently served as chief of staff to former Gov. Mike Pence. He is returning to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, where he previously served as chairman.
The EPA has been roiled by turmoil during its first week under President Donald Trump, as members of the transition team issued what it has described as a temporary freeze on all contract approvals and grant awards.
Critics say the bill would effectively wipe out a key financial incentive for homeowners and businesses to install rooftop solar systems and windmills.
Carol Comer, who served as commissioner of Indiana’s Department of Environmental Management until earlier this month, has already landed a new job in Missouri.
The Environmental Protection Agency issued a “notice of violation” to the company that covers about 104,000 vehicles, including the 2014 through 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram pickups.
As IPL ditches coal in favor of natural gas at power plants in Indianapolis and Martinsville, the utility wants to close their coal ash pits, cover the tops with plastic membranes, and top them off with nearly three feet of sand and soil.
Gov. Mike Pence’s chief of staff, who will lose his position when Pence leaves office on Monday, is seeking to return to the five-member state commission that oversees utilities.
In the latest move by an Indiana utility to reduce its use of coal, the Evansville-based utility plans to build a solar farm and substantially increase the use of natural gas as a fuel source.
David Stippler, Indiana’s official advocate for utility customers, who often pushes back against utilities that want to raise rates, plans to retire Jan. 1 after 11 years in office.
A dispute has broken out over the financial terms under which IPL connects its new, $25 million, energy-storage system to the grid.
The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed more than doubling the number of states allowed to use a new version of a popular weed killer on genetically modified crops despite its earlier concerns.
The measure pits two aggressive lobbies against each other: animal rights activists and the National Rifle Association.