Author Archives Laura Arnold

South Bend alternative energy supporter hopes Sen. Lugar continues effort for energy jobs in Indiana

Posted by Laura Arnold  /   May 01, 2012  /   Posted in Biofuels, Federal energy legislation, Uncategorized  /   No Comments

Dear IndianaDG Readers,

I just received this via email this evening. I just called Sam and told him that I would share his Op Ed with IndianaDG readers. Here goes...

Laura Ann Arnold

Hello Laura,

I am a resident in South Bend and have been a supporter of alternative energy for many years. I am hoping that Senator Lugar will continue his tremendous effort for energy jobs in Indiana along with support from the community.  I have written an op ed that I think outlines the Senators recent achievements and I was hoping to share it with your viewers.  I have attached my copy for your review please accept my kindest regards and best wishes.

Sincerely,

Sam Pellerito

sampellerito@gmail.com

Farm Energy Has Made Tremendous Progress

The good news about the Senate Agriculture Committee’s draft Farm Bill, released last week, is that it reauthorizes renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. These programs are just beginning to have a positive impact in revitalizing rural America, fueling economic growth and job creation where we need it most. Ongoing funding for these programs would provide the highest return on taxpayer dollars and ensure the future of emerging energy and renewable chemical markets.

The Farm Bill enacted 10 years ago in 2002 was the first to contain an energy title. But most of the programs being reauthorized only came into being in 2008. And it wasn’t until late 2010 and early 2011 that final rules for these programs were published.

Still, in that relatively short time span, these programs have helped renewable energy companies unlock private capital for construction of advanced biorefineries, something that has been extraordinarily difficult during the recent economic downturn. They have also helped farmers in over 150 counties across 10 states begin to put more than 150,000 acres of underutilized farmland into production of next generation energy crops. The programs have further ignited an explosion of innovation and early commercialization of renewable chemicals here in the United States. Overall, the programs have demonstrated a high rate of success.

The Biobased Markets Program, first enacted in 2002, has been tremendously successful in supporting the emergence of a new market for agriculture-based or biobased products. The first six categories of products eligible for this program were designated in March 2006, following a lengthy rulemaking process. By 2007, a U.S. International Trade Commission survey of the industry identified 5,700 workers at 159 companies manufacturing these products. Today, there are 64 categories of biobased products eligible for the program. And a recent Iowa State survey of the industry has identified more than 100,000 workers making or selling these products.

The first large-scale renewable chemical company in the United States, NatureWorks LLC in Nebraska, was established in 2002. In 2009, the plant doubled capacity in order to meet demand for its renewable, biodegradable product. Similarly, another early renewable chemical company, DuPont Tate & Lyle Bioproducts in Tennessee, recently expanded production to meet rising demand. Myriant is working to complete a large scale biorefinery in Louisiana to produce renewable chemicals. And many other renewable chemical companies are looking to locate new construction here in the United States, if the policy environment is right.

The Biorefinery Assistance Program can show a similar record of success. While it is rooted in the 2002 Farm Bill’s grant program, the program only began to work with private companies in late 2009. The first advanced biofuel biorefineries successfully secured private financing in late 2011, with the backing of this program. INEOS New Planet Energy is under construction in Florida and will begin commercial production of cellulosic biofuel this summer.

The Farm Bill’s energy title programs have provided a strong return for American taxpayers and have produced demonstrated results. New markets for agricultural products are emerging, creating new opportunities for U.S. companies and skilled workers. The programs are also providing environmental benefits, because renewable energy and chemicals are cleaner, safer and healthier. Congress should continue to provide significant funding for the farm bill energy title so we can continue to foster American innovation.  With the progress that has been made and with more companies ready to build biobased manufacturing facilities, these forward-looking, high-return programs are a much-needed part of the Farm Bill.

WSJ: Duke Takes Big Charge for Edwardsport IGCC Plant in Indiana; CAC Urges IURC to Reject Settlement

Posted by Laura Arnold  /   May 01, 2012  /   Posted in Edwardsport IGCC Plant, Office of Utility Consumer Counselor (OUCC), Uncategorized  /   No Comments

Dear IndianaDG Readers:

I don't know about you but this announcement of a proposed Settlement Agreement on the Duke Energy Indiana Edwardsport IGCC plant totally took me by surprise.

There is an in-depth article on the front page of the Indianapolis Star this morning describing this latest action by parties to the proceeding. Deal is reached over Duke. I encourage you to read it.

Here is a link to the other side of the story from the Citizens Action Coalition (CAC) website issued today (05/01/2012). http://citact.org/pdfs/Press_Release/5.1.12_DukeIGCC_OUCC_Settlement.pdf

Let me know what you think.

Laura Ann Arnold

BUSINESS--April 30, 2012, 9:49 p.m. ET.

By REBECCA SMITH

Duke Energy Corp. DUK +0.79%said it would take a $420 million charge for cost overruns at its Edwardsport coal gasification plant in Indiana, one of the costliest fossil-fuel generating stations ever built.

The company also announced a settlement agreement that would allow it to pass on to its customers $2.6 billion of the plant's expected $3.3 billion cost, if state utility regulators approve the deal. Duke, which previously took $265 million in charges for the plant, said rates would rise 9.6% on top of an earlier 5% increase attributable to the plant.

The plant is 99% complete and is expected to be put into service this fall.

The settlement agreement has the support of the state agency that represents ratepayers, a group representing industrial customers and Nucor Steel-Indiana, a large customer. Previously, they had recommended that Duke's cost recovery be held to about $2 billion, which would have forced the utility to absorb the remainder of the cost.

But Citizens Action Coalition, a consumer group, said the settlement agreement should be rejected by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission because it saddles consumers with too much expense for a plant that, in the group's opinion, shouldn't have been built.

"Absolutely, we will oppose this settlement," said Kerwin Olson, executive director of Citizens Action in Indianapolis. He said it was "unconscionable" to allow Duke to collect $2.6 billion when it "grossly mismanaged" the project and exercised undue influence over the regulatory process.

Indiana's governor removed the head of the utility commission in late 2010, amid an email scandal that suggested an unusually chummy relationship between regulators and Duke executives.

In December 2011, the former commission chairman, David Lott Hardy, was indicted on three counts of felony misconduct by an Indianapolis grand jury. He has said he is innocent. Three Duke officials, including its second-in-command executive, behind chief executive Jim Rogers, stepped down.

When proposed in 2007, the Edwardsport plant was expected to cost less than $2 billion. Cost overruns and the utility's management of the project were the subjects of lengthy hearings that started in October and concluded in January. Critics accused the utility of fraud and gross mismanagement.

At those hearings, Mr. Rogers, Duke's chief executive, described Edwardsport as the cornerstone of his utility's efforts to modernize its fleet of plants that serve the Carolinas, Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio.

But Duke's effort to scale up a small demonstration plant in Florida were fraught with problems. For example, Duke underestimated the amount of steel, concrete and other materials needed.

"The estimates were just flat wrong," Mr. Rogers testified on Jan. 9 at a hearing at the regulatory commission hearings. The utility's principal problem was "we were a little ahead of our time," he said, and tried to be a pioneer. He urged regulators to agree with him that expenditures were "reasonable and necessary."

The commission could accept the settlement agreement or reject it and continue the current process, in which it is reassessing the appropriate amount of recovery.

If it accepts the agreement, as written, allegations of fraud and mismanagement "go away," said a Duke spokeswoman, Angeline Protogere.

Write to Rebecca Smith at rebecca.smith@wsj.com

A version of this article appeared May 1, 2012, on page B5 in some U.S. editions of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Duke Takes Big Charge For Plant.

Who supports Renewable Energy in Lugar vs. Mourdock Indiana Republican Primary 5/8/2012?

Posted by Laura Arnold  /   May 01, 2012  /   Posted in Uncategorized  /   No Comments

Dear Blog Readers:

There will be a very important decision one week from today facing Indiana Republican primary voters. This blog post features three recent articles to help you to decide who supports the development of renewable energy resources in the State of Indiana and our nation. These articles are just a small representation of the energy debate between these two candidates. It is not my intent to try to present everything being said but rather to implore readers who plan to vote in the Indiana Republican primary to examine the stellar record of Sen. Dick Lugar and the Tea Party rhetoric of his opponent Indiana State Treasurer Richard Mourdock. Indiana has a closed primary process which means that Hoosier voters must declare a political party to receive the primary ballot. This is not the forum to discuss the pros and cons of a closed primary. It's just a fact and will be in effect next week. What it does mean as pointed out by numerous political commentators, the primary election process tends to favor the extreme elements within both political parties.

Please remember to vote!

Laura Ann Arnold

P.S. Also please see  Why Democrats should save GOP Senator Richard Lugar.

25x'25 Commends Sen. Richard Lugar

for Support of Renewable Energy from Nation's Farms, Ranches and Forestlands

The National 25x'25 Alliance today recognized Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) for his committed leadership in pursuing polices that accelerate the development of renewable energy resources on the nation's farms, ranches and forestlands.

Last week, Sen. Lugar joined with Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) in drafting an amendment to the proposed 2012 Farm Bill adopted by the Senate Agriculture Committee that would continue mandatory funding for a number of critical farm energy programs.

By forging language in the Energy Title of the new farm bill that would assure funding is available for a initiatives such as the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) and the Bioenergy Crop Assistance Program (BCAP), Lugar is encouraging the development of advanced biofuels and promoting other renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in rural America that will create new jobs and breath life back into the nation’s still struggling economy.

The Conrad-Lugar amendment would set mandatory funding totaling $241 million over five years for Rural Energy for America Program and $193 million for Bioenergy Crop Assistance Program. Another $216 million would be required over the life of the new farm bill for the Biorefinery Assistance Program, $130 million for the Biomass Research and Development Program, while $15 million would be allotted for the Biobased Markets Program, and $5 million for a Biodiesel Education Program.

The programs, which have no authorization beyond the Sept. 30 expiration of the current farm adopted in 2008, are zeroed out under Congressional Budget Office baseline estimates, leaving them vulnerable in the upcoming appropriations process. If adopted, Lugar's amendment would avert the possibility of appropriators setting aside little or no money for programs that have helped revitalize rural America, allowed new agricultural markets to emerge and reduced the need for direct payments to farmers.

Lugar is an original sponsor of the 25x'25 resolution adopted as part of the 2007 Energy Bill signed into law by then-President Bush. The measure adopts as the nation's goal the attainment of 25 percent of U.S. energy needs with renewable resources – biofuels, biomass, wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy and hydropower – from U.S. farms, ranches and forestlands by the year 2025.

"We are very grateful for Sen. Lugar's efforts on behalf of energy programs that benefit farmers across the nation," said Bill Richards, a co-chair of the National 25x'25 Steering Committee. "The senator's foresight and legislative initiatives have served to boost the economy and help create and retain jobs in our state's rural communities."

Lugar was also successful in adding to the proposed, five-year farm legislation a provision that authorizes funding for a Rural Energy Savings Program. The initiative would allow rural electric cooperatives to provide customers with low-interest loans for energy efficiency upgrades, to be paid back on monthly electric bills.

The latest measures sponsored by Lugar underscore his contributions to the nation's pursuit of a clean energy future. For more than a decade, Lugar has stressed the strategic importance of energy security and the economic and security risks of dependence on oil. His legislative efforts promote sustainable energy production and use, incentives for renewable fuels like cellulosic ethanol and E85, and increased fuel economy in cars.

25x'25 Alliance | 1430 Front Avenue | Lutherville | MD | 21093

April 22, 2012|By Peter S. Canellos

Richard Mourdock Challenges Sen. Dick Lugar Over Ethanol

 Posted by on April 12, 2012
Richard Mourdock Challenges Sen. Dick Lugar Over Ethanol biofuels news biofuelschat

Facing a fierce primary challengethis year from the right, Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar found himself accused Wednesday night of driving up gas prices during an otherwise uneventful primary debate.

Indiana Treasurer Richard Mourdock, who would like to topple the long-time senator, leveled the provocative charge that Lugar’s ethanol policies are driving up prices at the pump, now at $3.85 a gallon in the state.

Lugar, dean of the state’s Republicans in Congress since 1977, has long been at the forefront of pro-ethanol policies, including a proposal to make sure that all cars are “flex-fuel” vehicles capable of running on ethanol. But Mourdock charged Wednesday that federal policies promoting ethanol are contributing to rising gas prices.

“Most of us, especially as Republicans, object to mandates from the federal government,” Mourdock said during the debate. “And yet suddenly we saw more ethanol being mandated into our gasoline.”

The federal government gave gas refiners a subsidy to add ethanol to their product, but that policy was phased out at the start of 2012. Instead, the federal government now mandates only that the industry add some sort of alternative fuel, which often means ethanol derived from corn.

Just a few years ago, Mourdock’s stance would have been heresy for a candidate in a farm state. Even though the state actually farms more acres of soybeans these days, corn has long been integral to Indiana’s self-image. Gov. Mitch Daniels and both the leading Democratic and Republican candidates for governor are generally supportive of ethanol. Lugar, himself a farmer, has long taken the stance that what’s good for corn is good for the state.

“It’s a Hoosier product, with Hoosiers producing it on farms here,” Lugar replied to Mourdock with near exasperation during the debate.

But that argument has less and less support from Republicans these days. Politicians like Rick Santorum — who told Iowans he would end ethanol subsidies and then went on to win the state — are finding that opposing industry subsidies is less of a liability. The industry, meanwhile, believes it is finally becoming competitive on its own terms.

Mourdock, who has been endorsed by the Tea Party Express, outlines his stance as a matter of conservative principle.

That plays well with primary voters, said Gary Welsh, a Republican lawyer in Indianapolis who blogs about state politics, and who grew up growing corn and soybean crops. “Mourdock is pretty pure on those issues, and he’s consistent — even if some people may not like that view.”

Plus, Welsh added, farmers are hardly monolithic in their views on ethanol. “To the extent that you’re creating a demand converting food to fuel use, you’re driving up food prices too, so there’s that flip-side,” he said. “For livestock farmers, that means their cost of feeding livestock goes up.”

Mourdock may also be influenced by his work as a geologist in the oil and coal industries. The Lugar campaign has attacked him for holding up to $350,000 in stock in another alternative energy source, coal gas.

“In fact, the price of gasoline is much lower because of the addition of corn ethanol which comes from our state,” Lugar told Mourdock during the debate.

A 2011 PolitiFact report on whether ethanol reduces the price of gas, found that it depends on how high the price of oil is. With high gas prices today, ethanol producers have a better argument than usual that their product actually keeps the price of gas down. But at the same time, ethanol may also drive up the prices of many food products by creating more demand for corn, and have untold environmental costs.

Steve Pittman, director of the Indiana Ethanol Producers Association, quickly jumped on Mourdock’s claims about ethanol on Wednesday night. “I’ve never seen ethanol really go much above $3 a gallon, and right now, it’s trading at $2.25. It’s a low cost additive to gasoline,” he said.

“I just think maybe it’s a situation where (Mourdock) just didn’t understand the facts,” he said. “Senator Lugar understands the facts.”

Sen. Lugar says Gas prices would be higher if not for ethanol

Posted by on April 12, 2012 · Leave a Comment

Sen. Lugar says Gas prices would be higher if not for ethanol

After struggling at times during the early Republican primary campaign, U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar sounded more like the legislator he’s been for the past 35 years in a debate Wednesday night with Indiana Treasurer Richard Mourdock.

But while the confident Lugar often had a better grasp on the questions he was answering, Mourdock showed more poise than the veteran lawmaker. The contrast highlighted what has been an underlying argument from Lugar’s opponents throughout the campaign: He needs to retire.

In all, the two were genial toward each other throughout the hourlong debate, lacking much of the vitriol that has dominated the campaign advertising so far. Mourdock, at one point, blankly agreed with a vague answer from Lugar that government should not be involved in contraceptive questions, saying “I think I’ll do a ditto.”

The candidates’ only debate came as both ramp up their attacks in the race, which has shaped up to be one of the toughest election battles ever for the 80-year-old senator once considered so invincible that Democrats in 2006 chose not to field a challenger.

A strong anti-incumbent mood and pressure from the right to define who really is a conservative have forced Lugar into a frantic defense as he seeks a seventh term, and a series of polls has shown the tea party-backed Mourdock closing in recently.

In one of the clearest distinctions between the two men, Mourdock called for an end to corn ethanol subsidies, something Lugar has routinely backed citing Indiana’s heavy reliance on agriculture.

The two even disagreed on what exactly ethanol subsidies do to the price of gas, with Lugar saying ethanol was helping to keep prices down and Mourdock saying they were making prices higher. Lugar praised ethanol saying it lowers the price of gasoline and helps Indiana farmers.

“It’s a Hoosier product with Hoosiers producing it on farms here that have meant higher values for corn and certainly higher land values in this state.”

On domestic issues, the two men often agreed with each other. Lugar at times sought to ally himself with Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, touting Ryan’s budget plan, which has become a rallying point for many conservatives.

Sen. Lugar says Gas prices would be higher if not for ethanol biofuels news biofuelschat

U.S. Senate candidates running in the GOP primary, Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind. and Richard Mourdock, left, participate in a debate Wednesday, April 11, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, Pool)

One exchange fairly defined the tenor of the entire race: When given the chance to shore up his weakest spot, by defining how he is a conservative, Lugar opted for a roundabout answer dealing with his family history and serving in the military.

“These are conservative elements of my life and they’re expressed in my votes and the work we have been doing both in the economy as well as in the foreign policy to bring security for America,” he said. “We understand conservative values.”

Mourdock, however, chose a more direct answer that hit on key words and talking points popular with the tea partiers pushing his candidacy.

Much of the debate focused on questions of foreign policy, Lugar’s clear strength. Mourdock, though, challenged why Lugar didn’t support sanctions proposed by Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl against such countries as Iran, North Korea and Syria.

“It’s something that Sen. Lugar, last I knew, was still opposing,” Mourdock said. “He wanted to do that through the U.N. I think there are times we need to act unilaterally to put the pressure on those nations to make sure they understand they know we care about world peace and we don’t want to see those nations develop nuclear arms.”

Lugar said he works daily with Kyl and that the United States leads in trying to prevent Iran from developing nuclear capabilities.

“The real problem is making sure we get the Russians aboard, we get the Chinese aboard, we get others aboard who right now are undercutting those efforts,” Lugar said. “That’s going to require some very strong diplomacy.”

Until this week, the Lugar team had spent most of its money attacking Mourdock for his attendance at state boards, alleging that he doesn’t personally attend enough meetings, and attacking President Barack Obama for blocking construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline out of Canada. But Lugar began the week airing a statewide ad accusing Mourdock of leaning too heavily on “D.C. outsiders” to carry him through the race.

Mourdock struggled occasionally when answering intricate policy questions, meanwhile, that played more to Lugar’s strengths. In one case, Mourdock seemed to errantly state that a federal ethanol mandate that started in 2005 began in 2011.

The debate was a stark difference from a nasty Republican primary battle that has been dominated thus far by questions over Lugar’s residency and his support for President Obama’s Supreme Court nominees.

Before the debate, a couple dozen Lugar supporters and opponents lined the street yelling and waving signs as cars drove by.

Energy group parries call for Lugar to ditch them - The Hill's E2-Wire.

By Ben Geman - 04/06/12 03:46 PM ET

The Alliance to Save Energy is striking back at an Indiana GOP Senate hopeful’s call for incumbent Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) to cut ties with the group.
On Thursday Lugar’s Tea Party-backed primary foe, Indiana state Treasurer Richard Mourdock, said Lugar should resign from the Alliance’s board because the group has supported cap-and-trade legislation to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Turns out the nonprofit energy-efficiency group’s president, Kateri Callahan, is from Indiana herself, and didn’t take kindly to Mourdock’s claim that Lugar is “out of touch with Hoosier conservatives.”

“As a Hoosier myself and the leader of the Alliance to Save Energy, we strongly believe that energy efficiency reflects values embraced by all of the good citizens of Indiana,” she said in a statement.
Callahan’s statement doesn’t address efficiency’s role in combating climate change specifically, instead pointing to other values of energy conservation. “Hoosiers value thriftiness, helping one’s neighbor, building strong communities and economies, self-reliance and patriotism. Energy efficiency embodies all those ideals,” she said.
Callahan noted that the group was founded 35 years ago by a bipartisan pair of Midwestern senators, the late GOP Sen. Charles Percy of Illinois and the late Hubert Humphrey, a Democrat from Minnesota.
The group’s board has Democrats and Republicans from the House and Senate.


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IBJ: Indiana Electric Utilities face Billion Dollar Upgrades to Coal-Fired Power Plants; Will SEA 251-2011 Be Used?

Posted by Laura Arnold  /   April 29, 2012  /   Posted in Uncategorized, Voluntary Clean Energy Portfolio Standard Program  /   No Comments

 

IPL's Harding Street plant generates 25 percent of the utility's power, with its plant in Petersburg accounting for 68 percent of the utility's generation. The plants could receive the bulk of the $500 million to $900 million IPL plans to spend to meet new regulations.(IBJ file photo).

Dear IndianaDG Readers:

Last year when the Indiana General Assembly passed Senate Enrolled (SEA) Act 251 most of the renewable energy and distributed generation advocates were focused on the creation of the Indiana Voluntary Clean Energy Portfolio Standard (InVCEPS) BUT another big part of this legislation was language creating an expedited procedure for electric utilities like IPL to get 80% of the approved federally mandated costs through a "periodic retail rate adjustment mechanism that allows  the timely recovery of the federally mandated costs." This is a euphemism for what most of us now call "trackers".

I suppose we will soon find out which Indiana electric utility will request to use this new chapter at IC 8-1-8.4.

See Federally Mandated Requirements for Energy Utilities

Hey, if you think I am missing the boat on this, please let me know.

Laura Ann Arnold

P.S. The IURC has scheduled a public hearing on the Indiana Voluntary Clean Energy Portfolio Standard (InVCEPS) program as follows:

On April 25, 2012, the Indiana Register published the Proposed Rule and the Notice of Public Hearing for the CHOICE rulemaking (LSA Doc #12-94; IURC RM #11-05)  establishing the Indiana Voluntary Clean Energy Portfolio Standard Program. Download here: Proposed Rule as published in IN Register on 4-25-2012

The Public Hearing will be on Thursday, May 17, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. EDT in the IURC judicial courtroom #222 at 101 West Washington Street, Indianapolis, Indiana.   You are welcome to present oral and/or written comments at this hearing.  In addition, written comments may be submitted for one week after the hearing, by May 24, 2012, preferably electronically to bkroads@urc.in.gov.

Plant upgrades might cost IPL $1B

Chris O'Malley

April 28, 2012

New federal mercury-reduction regulations may force Indianapolis Power & Light to spend nearly $1 billion to upgrade its coal-fired electric plants scattered around Indiana. Duke Energy is mulling everything from plant upgrades to shutting down older units.

New federal mercury-reduction regulations may force Indianapolis Power & Light to spend nearly $1 billion to upgrade its coal-fired electric plants scattered around Indiana. Duke Energy, another big utility in the state that expects to be affected, is mulling everything from plant upgrades to shutting down older units.

The new regulations will hit Indiana harder than any other state because of its heavy reliance on pollution-belching, coal-fired plants. That dependence on low-cost coal has long allowed Indiana to have among the lowest electric rates in the nation. However, the investments needed to cut emissions could narrow the gap.

IPL's Harding Street plant generates 25 percent of the utility's power, with its plant in Petersburg accounting for 68 percent of the utility's generation. The plants could receive the bulk of the $500 million to $900 million IPL plans to spend to meet new regulations.(IBJ file photo)

The fallout from the regulations hit IPL on April 18 when Fitch Ratings downgraded the utility's credit, noting that IPL may need to spend up to $900 million between now and 2016 to comply with the new Environmental Protection Agency mandates.

IPL is still working on its plan, although it likely will include installing new devices at its Harding Street and Petersburg coal-powered generating stations.

The pollution-control measures could mean annual rate increases of 2 percent to 3 percent for residential customers over the next several years, IPL spokeswoman Crystal Livers-Powers said.

It's unclear at this point to what degree large industrial ratepayers will get hit by price increases. Their rates are hammered out before the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.

IPL is not alone. Duke Energy is looking at everything from plant upgrades to shutting down older units to buying a portion of its electricity from other providers. Around the state, Indiana's coal-fired electric utilities will spend billions of dollars not only to comply with the new mercury measures but to contend with a parade of proposed rules that include further cuts in sulfur and nitrogen emissions.

Recently finalized and proposed EPA regulations prompted the State Utility Forecasting Group at Purdue University earlier this year to raise its projected increase in the price of electricity in Indiana over the next decade another 14 percent. That's on top of the 20-percent jump it forecast last year.

Ahead of the tougher federal regulations, the state's electric utilities in the last few years have succeeded at the Indiana General Assembly in getting new laws to help them more easily pass on environmental costs to ratepayers.

One measure, Senate Bill 251, dubbed the "Christmas tree wish list" for utilities, was passed last year. It allows utilities to pass on costs of certain clean-energy and EPA-compliance projects during the construction phase rather than after project completion.

Indeed, Fitch said the environmental costs' negative effects on IPL's credit metrics should be temporary, allowing it to recover by 2015. The utility principally serving Marion County will face other pressures on its credit, such as tepid growth in retail sales, lower wholesale pricing environment and high pension costs.

IPL said it spent $62 million last year on environmental expenditures—and $600 million over the last decade, including pollution devices for its Harding Street generating station, south of downtown.

Fitch's downgrade, from BBB- to BB+, involves about $1.8 billion in debt.

The projected $500 million to $900 million in new capital spending is likely to consist of 55 percent debt and 45 percent equity, according to Fitch. IPL is owned by Virginia-based AES Corp.

"The combination of existing and expected environmental regulations make it likely that we will temporarily or permanently retire several of our existing coal-fired, smaller and older generating units within the next several years," IPL said in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

These generating plants represent about 15 percent of IPL's generating capacity and include older, smaller units such as IPL's Eagle Valley station in Martinsville.

"We are continuing to evaluate available options for replacing this generation, which include modifying one or more of the units to natural gas as the fuel source, building new units, purchasing existing units, joint ownership of generating units, purchasing electricity in the wholesale market, or some combination of these options," states IPL in the filing.

Duke Energy, which serves the outer portion of the metro area and is the largest electric provider in the state, is still weighing options and rate impacts, said spokeswoman Angeline Protogere.

"That includes plant retrofits and possible plant retirements," she said.

The company previously said it plans to retire units it owns at the Wabash River Station in West Terre Haute.

Duke Energy has invested more than $1.75 billion in its Indiana operations to cut pollution over the last decade, Protogere added.

That utilities should be spending so much in ratepayer money to keep coal a viable fuel amid tightening mercury and carbon regulations doesn't sit well with environmental activists.

There likely won't be new coal plants constructed in this environment, and a number of plants should be retired rather than retrofitted, said Dave Menzer, campaign representative of the Sierra Club's "Beyond Coal" campaign in Indiana.

That money instead could be invested in energy-efficiency measures and renewable energy generation, Menzer said. "Statewide, ratepayers are looking at billions in dollars in cost" to perpetuate coal, he said.

Other states have outpaced Indiana in regulatory incentives for utilities to deploy more renewable energy sources, such as wind, said Kerwin Olson, executive director of Citizens Action Coalition.

"Planning for the future and dealing with regulations doesn't necessarily have to come at a long-term cost for ratepayers," Olson said.•

Lugar Center for Renewable Energy (LCRE) Director Dr. Schubert Travels to Malta to Discuss Energy Policy and Sustainability

Posted by Laura Arnold  /   April 29, 2012  /   Posted in Feed-in Tariffs (FiT), Uncategorized  /   No Comments

Dear Blog Readers:

One of the things I discivered after learning about Dr. Schubert's trip to Malta is that this small country adopted a feed-in tariff (FIT)

Perhaps we can engage Dr. Schubert in a conversation or webinar about what he learned in renewable energy in Malta. Please send your thoughts to: Laura.Arnold@indianadg.net.

Laura Ann Arnold

P.S. You may also want to attend the Lugar Center's 6th Annual Energy Forum entitled,  "Waste to Energy, Chemicals, Fuels and Heat." on Friday, May 18, 2012 at the University Place Hotel and Conference Center, 850 W. Michigan Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202. For details and to register visit: http://www.lugarenergycenter.org/?q=node/100

From InsideINdianaBusiness.com Report http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?id=53380 

The director of the Lugar Center for Renewable Energy (LCRE) at IUPUI is representing the United States on a mission to Malta. Peter Schubert is meeting with educators, students and government officials to discuss energy policy and sustainability.

April 25, 2012

News Release

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Dr. Peter J. Schubert, Director of the Lugar Center for Renewable Energy at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) is on a mission in Malta to represent the U.S. in providing renewable energy insights to the European island nation. From April 22–26, Schubert is traversing the country, touring schools, universities, government entities, and NGOs to discuss climate change and policy, as part of Malta's preparation for the United Nation's Rio+20 Sustainable Development conference this summer.

"Energy and climate are two vital topics that have significant and far-reaching implications for every country – and each person – on this planet," said Schubert. "They are global issues that have to be addressed by leaders on a comprehensive, world-wide scale, but which also require attention to detail and the participation of 'average citizens' on a daily basis. That's why we are so pleased for this opportunity to work with Malta towards lasting micro- and macro-level change for a better energy future."

Schubert began his visit Monday with a tour of the country's new Xrobb l-Ghagin Nature Park and Sustainable Development Centre, opened in April 2011 to increase education and research into sustainable environmental solutions, particularly renewable energy. While there, he spoke with a group of 150 secondary students, sharing remarks and answering questions on climate change and initiatives to mitigate its effects using renewable energy, recycling and cutting down on waste.

Later that day, Schubert also met with a World Bank-supported Maltese economic development group, and participated in a climate change and mitigation panel for university students, faculty, NGOs and the general public.

"[Dr. Schubert] is meeting with government of Malta Ministers, members of Parliament, and members of Malta's energy and planning authorities to discuss alternative energy policy," explained Embassy spokesperson Elijah Waterman. "His expertise will contribute greatly to Malta's ongoing debate on environmental sustainability, the introduction of alternative sources of energy and the most appropriate renewable energy options for the Maltese Islands."

The second half of the tour consists of meetings with EkoSkola Malta students and leaders in Gozo, a pristine and picturesque island just north of Malta that has been targeted by the Maltese government to become an environmentally and economically sustainable "eco-island" by 2020. Back in Malta, Schubert will conduct meetings with the Agribusiness Institute, Malta Environment and Planning Authority, and the Malta Intelligent Energy Management Agency.

Maltese officials are looking to collaborate with American energy experts and the Lugar Center for Renewable Energy at IUPUI as they prepare for the Rio+20 Conference, to be hosted by the UN in Brazil this summer. At the Rio+20 Conference, Maltese officials will join world leaders, along with thousands of participants from governments, the private sector, NGOs and other groups, as they come together to further develop and shape ideas on how to reduce poverty, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection to build a better future on an increasingly crowded planet.

The Richard G. Lugar Center for Renewable Energy was established at IUPUI in 2008 to address the urgent societal needs for clean, affordable and renewable energy sources, improve the nation's energy security and reduce the negative impacts of climate change. Its primary mission is to promote research excellence, innovation and technology transfer through synergistic partnerships with industry, academia, government and communities, and to disseminate these findings for maximum impact.

About the Richard G. Lugar Center for Renewable Energy:

The Richard G. Lugar Center for Renewable Energy was established to address the urgent societal needs for clean, affordable and renewable energy sources, improve the nation's energy security and reduce the negative impacts of climate change. Its primary mission is to promote research excellence in the area of renewable energy through collaborative efforts among faculty in the disciplines of engineering, chemistry, physics, biology, public policy and environmental affairs. It will promote renewable energy applications through teaching, learning, civic engagement and synergistic partnerships with industry, government labs and local communities. Visit http://lugarenergycenter.iupui.edu/ to find out more.

About the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI:

The mission of the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI is to be one of the best urban university leaders in the disciplines of engineering and technology recognized locally, nationally and internationally. The school's goal is to provide students an education that will give them the leverage to be leaders in their communities, industry and society. For additional information on the School of Engineering & Technology, go to http://www.engr.iupui.edu.

About IUPUI:

Created as a partnership between two world-renowned universities and destined to be the state's urban research and academic health sciences campus, IUPUI has rapidly grown in size and stature since it was established in 1969. The partnership between the state's two major public universities – Indiana University and Purdue University – enables IUPUI to bring together a tremendous range of degree programs in 21 schools and academic units for nearly 30,000 students who earn their degrees from Indiana University or Purdue University. Today, IUPUI is the third strong pillar supporting public higher education in Indiana. For more information on IUPUI, go to http://www.iupui.edu.

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