Indianapolis Sustainability Awards will honor green projects
Deadline for nominations is Dec. 15 for projects in the categories of air, energy, land, water and “reduce,
reuse, recycle.”
Energy & Environment
Articles
Advisory panel urges EPA to back plan to pay for green projects via property tax
By issuing “voluntary environmental improvement bonds,”, local and state governments could
create special taxing districts that finance homeowner purchases of everything from solar panels to rain
gardens.
Coal-gasification plant price tag climbs to $2.5 billion
Duke Energy Corp. said the cost of the plant it’s building in southwestern Indiana has risen another $150 million.
Wind turbine maker adding 260 jobs in New Albany
California-based WindStream Technologies Inc. plans to locate a development and production facility at Purdue Research Park
of Southeast Indiana, creating more than 260 jobs by 2012.
Horizon Wind Energy opens its first Indiana wind farm
At full tilt, the units of Meadow Lake I Wind Farm in Brookston can generate about 200 megawatts, enough
to power 60,000 average size homes in a year.
Denison light-replacement project shows expanding base of green vendors in region
Indianapolis parking garage operator Denison shuns sexy LED lighting for Fishers supplier’s induction lights.
Egg industry debates ethics of cage sizes
The answers could have big implications for the egg industry, which counts Indiana as one of its leading producers. The Hoosier state ranked third in egg production in 2008, trailing only Iowa and Ohio.
Job prospects drawing more students to ag schools
Enrollment in bachelor’s degree programs in agriculture across the country grew by 21.8 percent from 2005 to 2008. Purdue
University has 2,575 ag students this fall, up 40 from last year.
Carmel electric marketer planning expansion
Carmel’s ACES Power Marketing LLC plans to invest $6.6 million to expand its West 99th Street headquarters—a move
that could allow it to add 40 jobs, the Indiana Economic Development Corp. said early Monday.
A peek at the future: Nature Conservancy’s ‘green’ HQ
Work is on schedule for a new headquarters for The Nature Conservancy of Indiana, which includes a variety of first-in-Indianapolis
"green" features. Tour the building
through IBJ’s narrated slideshow.
IURC conducts review of Centennial’s telecom service
Every neighborhood has its battles, but the 1,017-resident Centennial subdivision in Westfield is embroiled in one of the
most unusual: a very public fight over the adequacy of its phone, Internet and video service.
Sestertii Solar leasing panels to make solar power more affordable
The electricity they generate may be free, but most home- and business-owners can’t justify the upfront cost of solar
panels. A price tag of $25,000 to $50,000 for a modest system puts the cost close to luxury car territory.
Companies reap rewards on irrigation investments
Mike’s Express Carwash uses a lot of water. There’s just no getting around it. So when automated systems engineer
Ryan Binkley looked for ways to conserve resources, he focused on the company’s irrigation systems.
Citizens Energy donates land to baseball not-for profit
Citizens has donated 28 acres of land from its former Citizens Gas & Coke Utility site on the southeast side of Indianapolis
to Play Ball Indiana for the development of a youth sports complex.
Calumet improves quarterly profit despite sales hit
Calumet Specialty Products LP posted a profit of $3.9 million in the third quarter, recovering from a $12.5 million loss in
the same period last year.
Telecom supplier Telamon hopes to ‘ignite’ racing industry
Carmel-based Telamon Corp. rose to become one of the largest minority-owned businesses in the area largely by serving telecommunications giants. Now it is veering off its traditional course to supply racing teams with an ethanol-based fuel made from Indiana corn.
Two Indiana colleges land $6.3M for geothermal systems
The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded $6.3 million to two Indiana colleges to install environmentally friendly geothermal energy systems.
Anderson gas-station chain sues BP after 32-store deal sours
Ricker Oil’s Oct. 22 suit claims British petroleum giant BP is charging unjustified royalty fees while delivering no boost
from its national advertising, its proprietary IT system or its bulk purchase pricing.
Indiana lands $39.4M in power-grid stimulus grants
IPL will receive $20 million to help pay for a $48.8 million project to install more than 28,000 smart meters; Midwest ISO
will get $17.3 million toward a $34.5 million project to install 150 phasor measurement units.
Gas City dealer offers electric versions of Cadillacs, Hummers
Of all the inappropriate postmarks for the largest distributor of plug-in electric vehicles in Indiana,
Gas City, about an hour north of Indianapolis, takes the prize. But Steve Mitchell, proprietor of Electric Cars
and Carts, figures he’s in the right place as far as business prospects go. Despite a stalled economy, Mitchell’s
electric vehicle sales are up 35 percent over the same month last year.