Ball State begins final phase of ambitious geothermal project
Eventually, the system will heat and cool 5.5 million square feet of buildings and save $2 million a year in operating costs.
Environmental Policy
Articles
Airport spending millions to protect rare bats
The Indianapolis Airport Authority board has approved a $504,872, two-year contract with Indiana State University to study the federally endangered Myotis sodalis, which brings to $2.5 million what the airport has paid ISU since 2004 to track and observe the minuscule mammals.
Bill could put squeeze on recycling programs statewide
Waste management districts would need county OK to levy property taxes to fund their programs.
State power rates could increase 14 percent under new rules
An analysis prepared for the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission predicts new federal clean air regulations will raise electricity rates in the state by about 14 percent by 2020 because of necessary upgrades to coal-fired power plants.
Hoosier Environmental Council monitoring three bills in General Assembly
The state’s largest green group is seeking changes to measures it says could strip funding and oversight for environmental protection.
Utility counselor seeks reprieve on coal plant emissions
In a letter to the EPA, Indiana's utility consumer counselor says the three-year timetable threatens the safety and reliability of Indiana's power supply while ignoring the high cost of compliance.
Two Indiana environmental groups merging
The Hoosier Environmental Council and the Valparaiso-based Legal Environmental Aid Foundation say they're merging in hopes of advancing environmental issues in Indiana.
Indiana littered with 2,100 leaking underground tanks
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management is tracking about 2,100 sites with leaking tanks, many of which contain gasoline and diesel fuel that can damage soil and contaminate groundwater.
Indiana environmentalists wary of oil pipeline plan
The oil industry says a new oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf Coast might create jobs for Indiana residents if the Obama administration approves its construction.
Zeroing in on net-zero energy in Indianapolis
The Holy Grail of energy efficiency has yet to arrive, but pieces are falling into place.
Airport Authority picks local firms to develop 60-acre solar farm
The Indianapolis Airport Authority announced Tuesday that it has selected a joint venture of three locally based firms to develop a 60-acre solar farm on airport property.
Refrigerant company fights EPA over rules
Jim Tieken, a former refrigeration repairman, invented an alternative to the coolant Freon when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency banned it in the mid-1990s. But his company might be unable to continue making that alternative, Hot Shot, because of cap-and-trade burdens, according to a letter Tieken sent the EPA in May.
Green group: I-69 will drain money from other projects
Indiana's 142-mile extension of Interstate 69 between Indianapolis and Evansville will siphon hundreds of millions of dollars away from other road and bridge projects in coming years, according to a report from an environmental group.
Carrier counts on new environmental regulations to drive sales
Carrier Corp.’s plan to invest $36.5 million in its Indianapolis plant hinges in part on how well consumers take to a new platform of high-efficiency furnaces.
Lugar pushes energy savings, more oil production
Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar is pushing a national energy plan he says will save billions of dollars by increasing domestic oil production and improving energy efficiency.
Actor Ed Begley to bring star power to Indiana energy conference
Begley is famously obsessed with making his home more energy-efficient—and for driving his wife nuts.
Challenger in Indianapolis mayoral race releases sustainability plan
Among Melina Kennedy’s priorities is educating residents and businesses about recycling and making it more convenient.
Indiana lawmakers push voluntary renewable standards
Senate Bill 251, which passed the Indiana House Utilities and Energy committee Friday, calls for a voluntary goal of producing 10 percent of the state's electricity from renewable energy resources by 2025.
New EPA rules could trigger Indiana emission testing
Drivers across Indiana could be required to have their vehicles undergo emissions testing if new federal Environmental Protection Agency rules set for release this summer are strict enough, a state environmental official said.
Banks OK with ‘clean energy financing districts’
Industry feared original bill would have put mortgage lenders at added risk.