Calumet lands $1.4B federal loan for renewable fuels facility
The funding, announced this week, will support the expansion of a renewable fuels facility that will produce sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF.
Energy & Environment
Articles
AES Indiana standing firm on plan to convert Petersburg power plant from coal to natural gas
AES Indiana says it remains committed to ending the use of coal at its massive Petersburg Generating Station, despite growing opposition from Republican elected officials and the coal lobby.
Supreme Court allows rule limiting pollution from coal-fired power plants
The justices rejected a push from Republican-led states and industry groups to block the Environmental Protection Agency rule, marking the third time this month the conservative majority has left an environmental regulation in place for now.
Amazon, Google make nuclear investments to power data centers with clean energy
Both tech giants are seeking new sources of carbon-free electricity to meet surging demand from data centers and artificial intelligence.
Consumer group calls for moratorium on new electricity-guzzling data centers in Indiana
Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana said the huge new data centers planned in the state could lead to skyrocketing utility bills while providing few jobs relative to their energy consumption and the incentives they receive.
Attorney general says utility regulator can deny early coal plant retirements
The powerful Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission can—and should—investigate early retirements of coal-burning power plants, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita wrote.
Indiana utilities earn collective ‘C’ grade on clean-energy goals
One Indiana utility company earned top marks and another pair nabbed no points in a national clean-energy assessment by the left-leaning Sierra Club.
In landmark move, EPA requires removal of all lead pipes within 10 years
The move comes nearly 40 years after Congress determined that lead pipes posed a serious risk to public health and banned them in new construction.
The Bee Corp. dissolves, but its technology lives on
The company’s signature technology, called Verifli, uses infrared imagery, data analytics and a smartphone app to determine the size of the bee colony inside a hive—a faster and less invasive method than manually inspecting the hive.
Fluoride in drinking water poses enough risk to merit new EPA action, judge says
Last month, a federal agency determined “with moderate confidence” that there is a link between higher levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in kids.
House OKs permit exemption for semiconductor projects, sending bill to Biden
The U.S. House approved legislation on Monday that would address concerns that environmental reviews and lawsuits will delay construction of domestic chip factories.
Airport planning $47M solar canopy for parking lot
The project, which would see the construction of a new solar-covered canopy over a portion of a lot south of the airport’s parking garage, is expected to generate about 10% of the terminal’s total energy needs.
McCormick seeks to bring back net-metering, Energizing Indiana program
Jennifer McCormick, the Democrat running for Indiana governor, proposes banning ratepayer dollars from being used for lobbying and reinstating a Mitch Daniels-era energy-efficiency program, according to her utility policy plan announced Thursday morning.
Holcomb joins GOP ‘energy choice’ coalition to address energy prices
A group of Republican governors are pushing back against clean energy mandates—and Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has joined the effort.
Indy receives $15M federal grant to install public EV chargers
The project will prioritize fair and equitable placement to fill gaps left in the Indiana Department of Transportation’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Plan, according to the city of Indianapolis and Congressman Andre Carson.
Sweaty corn making Midwest even more humid
Farmers are also planting more acres of corn, in part to meet demand for ethanol, which means more plants working harder to stay cool — pumping out humidity that adds to steamy misery like that blanketing much of the U.S. this week.
As AES Indiana abandons coal, capacity questions arise
If all goes to schedule, the huge power plant about 125 miles southwest of Indianapolis will convert to natural gas and burn its last load of coal by the end of 2026.
Tippecanoe County extends pipeline moratorium as IEDC eyes other options for LEAP district
Tippecanoe County Commissioners first enacted a stoppage to high-volume water withdrawals in November in response to an IEDC proposal to take 100 million gallons a day from Wabash River aquifers and carry it 35 miles away to the LEAP district.
Indiana green-energy fund begins lending for renewables, efficiency projects
The commercial lending program targets Hoosier businesses, not-for-profits and governments to help lower their energy costs.
Next challenge for U.S. charging network: congestion
From a potential congestion standpoint, the U.S.’s charger-to-EV ratio is one of the worst in the world.