News

The report analyzed battery storage compared to natural gas “peakers” currently proposed by Indiana utilities

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., May 3, 2023 – Some of the largest utilities in Indiana could save their customers a combined $73.1 million by switching to advanced energy technologies instead of moving forward with plans to build new gas-fired power plants. The finding comes in a new study by Strategen Consulting, which analyzed several scenarios that considered a range of fuel and technology costs and deployment strategies and found that the utilities could achieve equivalent reliability and save their customers millions of dollars by building battery storage instead of new natural gas combustion turbines.

Indiana Capitol Chronicle examines Indiana's elimination of competitive bidding in "right of first refusal" bill, quoting Trish Demeter's perspective on the importance of maintaining competitive processes for success transmission infrastructure development.

Indiana’s Senate Utilities Committee on Thursday narrowly passed a contentious bill that critics say would stifle competitive markets and add unnecessary costs to energy infrastructure projects. House Bill 1420 advanced 6-5 to the Senate, with bipartisan opposition, following hours of testimony. 

“Incumbent” Indiana utility companies already have a “right of first refusal” to build, own, and operate new transmission lines in their service area. But the bill expands that to inter-regional transmission projects. This prevents new projects from being competitively bid on by other energy companies outside of that territory that would then retain an ownership stake.

Inside Climate News outlined the states most likely to make commitments to 100 percent carbon-free or renewable energy. Trish Demeter was quoted on Michigan's likelihood to pass major clean energy legislation.

With remarkable speed, Minnesota lawmakers have passed a bill requiring 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2040.

The legislation, signed by Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday, means Minnesota joins a group of 10 states (California, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia and Washington) plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Looking ahead to the rest of 2023, I’m wondering which states are most likely to join the 100 percent club with new laws. I asked a bunch of people who would know, and these are the places they suggested I watch most closely:

WFYI Indianapolis detailed major Indiana companies' ask to create a green tariff program, quoting Trish Demeter on the demand for renewable energy options. Read snippets below and the full article here.

Two Indiana cities and six major companies in the state want AES Indiana and Duke Energy to make it easier for them to get their power from renewables. That’s according to a letter sent Thursday from Indianapolis, Bloomington, Coca-Cola, Walmart, Salesforce, Cummins, Rivian and Roche.