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.
Energy & Environment
Articles
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.
Drugs in our water
Researchers are finding a host of pharmaceutical residues in tributaries to the White River, from which Indianapolis and other
cities draw drinking water.
EPA: Indiana must rewrite BP refinery air permit
Federal officials ordered Indiana on Monday to rewrite an air permit for BP PLC’s Whiting refinery, concluding the state may
not have fully assessed all the new emissions a big expansion of the refinery will produce.
Vectren expects lower gas bills for many customers
One of Indiana’s largest natural gas utilities predicts customers’ bills in its largest service territory might be 25 percent
to 30 percent lower this heating season compared to the last one.
Consultant: Indianapolis water utility lax in overseeing Veolia
The city too often relied on the Department of Waterworks’ board, on consultants and on the private
operator, Veolia Water, rather than on the department’s own staff “to ensure safe and efficient
operation, maintenance and management” of Indianapolis Water. That’s one of several critical
findings of a consultant hired by the department and filed as part of a 35-percent rate-hike request
pending before the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.
Local junkyard gets green recognition from state
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management says an Indianapolis junkyard is the first in the state to receive its recognition for environmentally friendly practices.
USDA forecasts huge soybean, corn harvests
Record harvests are being forecast for corn and soybean farmers, and now the focus turns to bringing the giant crop in from
the field.