Monday, April 27, 2009

Indiana Legislators Work on Renewable Energy Bills before Indiana General Assembly Adjourns April 29th

Two bills addressing important aspects of renewable energy are still pending during the 2009 session of the Indiana General Assembly. Compromise versions of both SB 300 and SB 420 must be adopted by midnight Wednesday, April 29 to become law this year. Both SB 300 and 420 currently contain language pertaining to a renewable electricity standard (RES) and net metering.


(NOTE: These links to the bills on the Indiana General Assembly website will allow you to view both the Introduced Bill and the Latest Printing of SB 300 and SB 420 plus amendments Filed and Passed. The eventual conference committee adopted will likely be a blended rendition of these various versions of the bill. You can also access the Roll Call records to see how your state legislators voted.)

A handful of state legislators will hammer out the differences between the Senate and House versions of the bill. The four conferees must reach a consensus assisted by a group of advisors from their respective parties in their House. Those appointed for this task include:

SB 300 Conferees:
Sen. Jim Merritt, Jr. (R-Indianapolis) s31@in.gov , (317) 232-9533
Sen. Sue Errington (D-Muncie) s26@in.gov, (317) 232-9526
Rep. Win Moses, Jr. (D-Ft. Wayne) h81@in.gov, (317) 232-9999
Rep. Jack Lutz (R-Anderson) h35@in.gov, (317) 232-9648

SB 300 Advisors:
Sen. Marlin Stutzman (R-Howe) s13@in.gov, (317) 232-9493
Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) s42@in.gov, (317) 234-9054
Sen. Beverly Gard (R-Greenfield) s28@in.gov, (317) 232-9493
Rep. Ryan Dvorak (D-South Bend) h8@in.gov, (317) 234-9290
Rep. Kreg Battles (D-Vincennes) h64@in.gov, (317) 232-9798
Rep. Eric Koch (R-Bedford) h65@in.gov, (317) 232-0664
Rep. Bob Behning (R-Indianapolis) h91@in.gov, (317) 232-9981
Rep. Wes Culver (R-Goshen) h49@in.gov, (317) 234-3825


SB 420 Conferees:
Sen. Brendt Hershman (R-Monticello) s7@in.gov, (317) 232-9840
Sen. Sue Errington (D-Muncie) s26@in.gov, (317) 232-9526
Rep. Win Moses, Jr. (D-Ft. Wayne) h81@in.gov, (317) 232-9999
Rep. Eric Koch (R-Bedford) h65@in.gov, (317) 232-0664


SB 420 Advisors:
Sen. Marlin Stutzman (R-Howe) s13@in.gov, (317) 232-9493
Sen. Robert Deig (D-Mount Vernon) s49@in.gov, (317) 232-9523
Sen. Beverly Gard (R-Greenfield) s28@in.gov, (317) 232-9493
Rep. Dale Grubb (D-Covington), h42@in.gov, (317) 232-9987
Rep. Ryan Dvorak (D-South Bend) h8@in.gov, (317) 234-9290
Rep. Jack Lutz (R-Anderson) h35@in.gov, (317) 232-9648
Rep. Robert Cherry (R-Greenfield) h53@in.gov, (317) 232-9620
Rep. Wes Culver (R-Goshen) h49@in.gov, (317) 232-9753

Time is of the essence. Please contact these state legislators and express your support for renewable energy. Do it now!

After the four conferees agree to a conference committee report, it still must pass a Roll Call vote again in both the Indiana Senate and Indiana House. Therefore, your own state legislators will have one more time to support renewable energy in Indiana.

Since we don't know what rendition of these bills will play, STAY TUNED TO THIS BLOG.

1 comment:

Hoosier Contrarian said...

It would appear that we have a fox in the chicken coop when it comes to Beverly Gard, R-Greenfield. She is spearheading efforts to steal citizens rights, and pass them carte blanche to big business. Per the Indianapolis Star "A bill filed in the Indiana General Assembly would give companies building pipelines to carry carbon dioxide the right to take private land in their path.

A consumer group opposing Senate Bill 115 argues the measure is yet another concession to the developer of a coal-to-methane plant proposed in Rockport, as well as to coal-fired electric utilities that may opt to transport CO2 to underground storage sites.

The measure declares that the transportation of CO2 by pipeline “is declared to be a public use and service, in the public interest, and a benefit to the welfare of Indiana,” citing its potential to reduce carbon emissions and to promote economic development.

Indiana Gasification, which planned to sell gas to Merrillville-based NIPSCO and Evansville-based Vectren, shelved plans in late-2008 after failing to reach long-term gas supply contracts with utilities, which feared such contracts could impair their long-term credit.

But last March, Gov. Mitch Daniels signed into a law a bill that would allow the Indiana Finance Authority to act as contracting agent between the gasification plant developer and the utilities buying its gas. Daniels has been a supporter of so-called clean-coal technology as an economic development tool and to protect the state’s coal and electric utility industries in the face of punitive carbon-mission regulations contemplated by Congress.

“You’ve got a multi-billion dollar, multi-national corporation that is mandating their agenda through legislation because the business model just doesn’t support it,” Olson said of the proposed plant.

The measure could potentially grant eminent domain powers to numerous firms that plan to ship carbon dioxide trough pipelines.

Duke Energy is studying whether to inject underground the carbon dioxide to be produced at its $2.35 billion Edwardsport electric-generating plant, now under construction. Duke is looking at potential underground storage sites within 50 miles of the plant, but also has looked at piping CO2 to oil wells in southern Illinois as a way to enhance oil extraction.

In addition, Indiana is among Midwest states where Texas-based Denbury Resources is looking to run a 500-mile CO2 pipeline. It could receive carbon from power plants in the state and move it to oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico.

The sponsor of Senate Bill 115, Beverly Gard, R-Greenfield, could not be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, another measure co-sponsored by Gard is drawing fire from CAC. SB 211 would exclude the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission from ratemaking jurisdiction over private firms that operate carbon-storage facilities or pipelines. Public utilities that hired the private firms could file ask the commission for permission to recover costs from ratepayers.

Moreover, SB 211 declares that carbon dioxide “is not considered a pollutant, a nuisance, a hazardous waste or a deleterious substance.”
http://www.ibj.com/bill-would-give-co2-pipeline-firms-right-to-take-private-land/PARAMS/article/15967

Ms. Gard, please leave office, and get that fat job with big energy you really want.