Hamilton: Coal plants an unnecessary, inefficient energy option for Indiana
On Sept. 11, a ruling was handed down by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia that effectively allows for the closure of a coal plant in Michigan that had previously been forced to stay open by a federal order. The case was brought to the Court of Appeals after the order was challenged by the Michigan attorney general's office. The full ruling can be found here.
Two coal plants in Indiana are currently being forced to stay open under similar federal orders.
On. Sept. 14, the Environmental Protection Agency announced they would be rolling back regulations that required coal and gas power plants to capture 90% of climate-altering pollution by 2032. These regulations were projected to save thousands of lives in the coming years and save Americans $120 billion in health-related costs through 2047.
State Rep. Carey Hamilton (D-Indianapolis) issued the following statement:
"Hoosier families are already stretched thin, and now they're being asked to foot the bill for a decision they had no say in. Last month, NIPSCO requested approval from state regulators to recover $38 million from ratepayers – the cost of complying with a federal order that forces the utility to keep the aging Schahfer coal plant running. Estimates suggest this order could cost NIPSCO customers as much as $174,000 every day.
"Just last month, Northwest Indiana residents spent weeks without power due to severe weather, something I'll be discussing Sept. 29 as part of the Interim Study Committee on Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications. Families who had just endured that kind of hardship are now being asked to pay more, not for better reliability, but to prop up an outdated coal plant.
"I'm calling on the attorney general to challenge this order. This isn't a partisan issue, it's about standing up for the people who see the consequences of these decisions on their monthly power bill.
"Simultaneously, the Braun administration is following President Trump's lead in pushing deregulations that let utility companies cut corners on public health protections to save money. We should be demanding more accountability from utility companies, especially after a summer that showed us just how fragile our grid is."