Better homes and gadgets: Household power use falls
Even though our lives are more wired than ever, power usage is on track to decline for the third year in a row due to more energy-efficient housing, appliances and consumer-friendly devices.
Energy & Environment
Articles
Kokomo to debut curbside recycling program
City officials hope the program can reduce the community’s trash-disposal costs by 35 percent.
Flexsteel settles Elkhart contamination suit for $6.25M
The Iowa-based furniture maker was accused of polluting the water wells of nine homes in the northern Indiana community.
Citizens Energy reports $81M loss, lower executive pay
The 2013 loss was far greater than the $11.8 million in red ink Citizens reported in fiscal 2012. Meanwhile, CEO Carey Lykins’ annual compensation dropped $1 million, to $1.9 million.
Wind farm says Duke violated contract
The owner of a northern Indiana wind farm says Duke Energy Indiana Inc.—which had agreed to buy energy the 87-turbine operation produces—breached its contract, “proving disastrous.
MISO takes control of Entergy system, extends grid to Gulf
The Carmel-based power grid operator is expanding its footprint from Manitoba and the U.S. Midwest to the Louisiana coast.
U.S. invalidates 33.5M renewable fuel credits after fraud
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it has invalidated renewable fuel credits sold by an Indiana company for biofuel it didn’t produce. The filing Wednesday follows fraud charges filed against the former owners of the Middletown-based E-Biofuels LLC in September.
State’s top court gives Rockport developer a victory
The state's high court ruled unanimously Tuesday that an alteration of the contract the plant's developers signed with the Indiana Finance Authority did not constitute a significant change.
Dominion puts area solar-power projects into service
Dominion Resources Inc. said Monday that the three projects near Indianapolis are capable of providing enough electricity for up to 7,200 homes. Dominion acquired the projects in July from Sunrise Energy Ventures.
Farm Bureau: Ethanol proposal should be scrapped
The organization says corn prices have dropped more than 5 percent since word of the proposed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule was leaked in October.
Two Indiana plants get $15M in clean-energy credits
A federal agency has awarded two Indiana manufacturers, including one in Indianapolis, more than $15 million in tax credits intended to boost their production of clean energy equipment.
Business veteran to direct Indiana agriculture agency
Ted McKinney, who grew up on a family farm in Tipton County, will replace Gina Sheets, who’s leaving after a year on the job to do mission work in Liberia.
Green BEAN to grow in Louisville after competitor closes
The Indianapolis-based produce and groceries distributor has acquired a list of hundreds of customers and vendors in the area who are losing their current service.
IDEM: Buy real Christmas trees to support farmers
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management is urging Hoosiers to help farmers, the environment and the economy by buying Indiana-grown Christmas trees this year instead of artificial ones.
Funding for Mounds Reservoir study moves ahead
The state will provide a $600,000 grant for the next phase in a proposed project to build a $400 million reservoir in central Indiana.
Indiana in natural gas dilemma
‘Fracking’ has made natural gas cheap and abundant, but prices could rise with demand, costing consumers.
MCCANN: Energy research evolving to meet massive demands
The days of lone-wolf researchers shouting ‘Eureka’ are over.
Biomass could power 1/3 of Hoosier homes, report says
Despite ongoing research, the energy form is still not economical in many cases.
Nation’s green-power push has secret, dirty costs
The consequences from the ethanol era are so severe that environmentalists and many scientists have now rejected corn-based ethanol as bad environmental policy. But the Obama administration stands by it, highlighting its economic benefits to the farming industry.
Report: Great Lakes cleanup helpful but needs better way to judge success
Federal officials and advocacy groups believe the project is making significant progress on pollution cleanup and other problems, but they’re short on yardsticks for confirming their impressions.