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Our Top Legislative Priorities This Year:
Clean energy financing districts
One of the biggest hurdles to installing high efficiency systems faced by individuals and busiesses is the upfront cost. Property Assessed Clean Energy financing programs – PACE – is a creative idea spreading across the country. We support enabling legislation that will authorize local governments to initiate these voluntary programs. This is an idea brought to Indiana by the Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter. To learn more about PACE, click here.
Removing phosphorus from lawn fertilizers
The runoff from lawn-applied phosphorus to our lakes and reservoirs
contributes to algae growth. This can be both a health issue as well as an economic
one (reduced tourism to our algae-infested waters). Nearly all Indiana soils naturally
contain adequate levels of phosphorus for healthy turf growth.
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Legislative/Action Alerts 3/9/11:
SC Prez at Statehouse
Support for Working Hoosiers |
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Legislative/Action Alerts 2/21/11:
Multiple Alerts:
Edwardsport-IURC; Labor attack; & SB-251 |
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Legislative Action Alert 2/11/11:
Help Get Phosphorus Out of Lawn Fertilizer |
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Articles & Information |
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Indiana's interest in nuclear power is dampened
(Indiana Law Blog & Indy Star, 3/17/11)
"As Japan scrambles to control fires and radiation at its crippled nuclear power reactors, Indiana leaders are backing away from an effort to promote nuclear power here, and nuclear critics are stepping up their opposition. ... " |
Just last month, the Indiana Senate passed legislation [SB 251] that would encourage the construction of the state's first nuclear plant |
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Money grab by utilities
(Indianapolis Star, 3/10/11)
"Let's not forget, Indiana's electric utilities are state-franchised monopolies, protected from competition and insulated from risk. In exchange, they agree to government regulation. ..." |
SB 251 is nothing more than a money grab by the Indiana Energy Association and the monopoly utilities it represents |
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Bill may hurt consumers, encourage nuclear power
(Indiana Daily Student, 2/15/11)
"The Indiana General Assembly has named it the Clean Energy Bill, but others consider it a utility monopoly bill. ..." |
Kastner said Duke Energy’s newest project, a coal gasification plant in Edwardsport, Ind., is a good example of the type of risks Indiana consumers can expect if the bill should pass. |
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Bill pushing nuke and coal-fired plants gets green light
Senate panel passes bill encouraging coal-fired and nuclear power plants (Indianapolis Star, 2/11/11)
"Despite strong opposition from environmentalists, senior citizens and consumer groups, an Indiana Senate committee on Thursday endorsed legislation that encourages the construction of coal-fired and nuclear power plants in Indiana and would allow utilities to quickly recover certain costs from customers...."
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The Sierra Club's Hoosier chapter said the bill would take Indiana's energy policy in the wrong direction, encouraging traditional power plants at the expense of cleaner, renewable options.
"What you are doing is incentivizing business as usual," said Mike Mullet with the Sierra Club. |
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Consumer groups balk at bills to speed utility cost recovery
(Indianapolis Business Journal, 2/4/11)
"Indiana lawmakers have a long record of giving utility companies mechanisms to raise rates without having to litigate full rate cases. Trackers, as they are called, became popular 30 years ago when volatile fuel prices put a strain on utilities and a timely solution was needed to help them recover rising costs. Trackers have grown to cover everything from pollution-control costs to customer energy-conservation programs...." |
Critics say the proposal is more about protecting utility-shareholder returns, diminishes the incentive for utilities to control costs and reduces ratepayer groups’ ability to intervene. |
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Indiana Statehouse 2011: We're Screwed
Nuvo, 1/19/11
"With strong majorities in the State Senate and House of Representatives, leadership in most Statehouse committees and a Republican in the Governor's Mansion, the Indiana GOP is sitting pretty this legislative session, which runs now through April. For Democrats, it could be a long couple of months...." |
While both parties agree that passing legislation improving Indiana's environment and protecting natural resources are unlikely to be much of a priority in a Republican-led statehouse, the real concern is the rolling-back and repeal of what little eco-friendly laws do exist.Look for all sorts of new terminology and tactics that all mean putting economic profit above environmental protection. |
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| Redistricting: |
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Citizens Redistricting Commission
The Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission will hold public meetings to examine the new congressional
and state legislative maps proposed by the 2011 Indiana General
Assembly and encourage a public dialogue on the new maps. |
Click link for
a schedule of
ICRC public meetings |
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District lines signal legislative corruption
By Morton Marcus, Columnist
Anderson Herald Bulletin |
Our state senators and representatives deal the cards with which we all must play. Too often, however, they deal from the bottom of the deck. |
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Voters must keep eye on redistricting
Editorial, Indianapolis Star & Post-Tribune
of NW Indiana |
When politicians resort to gerrymandering, it’s no longer the voters who pick their elected leaders. It’s the candidates — or, more precisely, party bosses — who pick the voters. (Watch this happen in the 2nd district). |
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| The Indiana Conservation Alliance |
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| For INCA's 2011 legislative priorities, click here |
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