Obama administration to propose stricter smog standard
The stricter standards could make it one of the most expensive regulations ever issued, with an estimated $19 billion to $90 billion price tag and double the number of counties in violation.
Emissions
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EPA coal-plant emission limits challenged by 12 states
A dozen states, led by West Virginia and including Indiana, sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday to block a proposed rule that would limit carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants.
Not in my backyard: U.S. sending more coal abroad
The U.S. power sector is burning less coal and is reducing carbon emissions, but a growing share is finding its way to the rest of the world.
Judge rules against residents in suit over hog smell
A judge has ruled state law protects four large hog farms from lawsuits filed by residents of an eastern Indiana county who complained about waste and foul smells from their operations.
Utility watchdog: Ending efficiency program ‘short-sighted’
The leader of Citizens Action Coalition said Indiana lawmakers put the state at a disadvantage when they passed a bill killing an energy-efficiency program that could have helped the state meet the new federal carbon-emission goal by 2030.
Supreme Court upholds EPA rule on cross-state pollution
The 6-2 ruling was an important victory for the Obama administration in controlling emissions from power plants in 27 Midwestern and Appalachian states. Texas led 14 states, including Indiana, and industry groups in challenging the rule.
Study: Fuels from corn waste not better than gas
A $500,000 study paid for by the federal government and released Sunday in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Climate Change concludes that biofuels made with corn residue release 7 percent more greenhouse gases compared with conventional gasoline.
U.S. House backs bill to block EPA power plant rule
The Republican-controlled U.S. House moved Thursday to block President Barack Obama's plan to limit carbon emissions from new power plants, an election-year strike at the White House aimed at portraying Obama as a job killer.
Indiana in natural gas dilemma
‘Fracking’ has made natural gas cheap and abundant, but prices could rise with demand, costing consumers.
Indiana coal industry battling EPA plant limits
Members of Indiana's coal industry and business community are heading to Chicago this week to fight against new limits on coal-fired plants they say would cost hundreds of jobs across the state.
IDEM chief: Fed rules essentially ban new coal plants
The commissioner of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Thomas Easterly, told lawmakers that the pending federal regulations will essentially rule out coal-fired power plants that currently generate much of the state’s electricity.
Sierra Club puts Harding coal plant in crosshairs
The Sierra Club wants the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to block an IPL plan to spend $511 million on pollution controls at its 39-year-old Harding Street plant, plus a four-unit station in the southwestern Indiana town of Petersburg.
CountryMark paying $18 million for pollution controls
Government officials alleged Indianapolis-based CountryMark violated the law when the oil refiner expanded operations without obtaining proper permits and installing necessary pollution controls.
Indiana coal industry scrambling to save its future
Options include increasing exports as opposition to coal-fired electricity generation heats up at both national and local levels.
Indy utility plans $511 million in power plant upgrades
Indianapolis Power & Light said ratepayers could expect a 2-percent to 3-percent annual increase for a “number of years,” but said he did not know how long the increases would be in effect.
Plant upgrades might cost IPL nearly $1 billion
New federal mercury-reduction regulations may force Indianapolis Power & Light to spend nearly $1 billion to upgrade its coal-fired electric plants scattered around Indiana. Duke Energy is mulling everything from plant upgrades to shutting down older units.
Trucking firms shunning costly clean-burning engines
Trucking fleets, already buckling under higher costs for insurance and fuel, are finding ways around new rules that nearly eliminate nitrogen oxides and particulate matter but also sent prices of new trucks soaring.
Duke uncertain about impact of Indiana unit shutdown
Officials at Duke Energy don't know how soon they will be able to shut down two coal-burning units at a southern Indiana power plant after deciding to drop a multimillion-dollar project to convert them to natural gas.
Electric vehicles gain traction in region
Indianapolis has one of the highest concentrations of plug-in electric vehicle drivers in the nation, an industry official says.
Purdue forms 2 energy labs with Chinese school
Purdue said Tuesday that its President, France Cordova, has signed an agreement with Beihang University's president to form the two joint laboratories. One will focus on energy systems and the other on low emissions combustion.