Two Different Renewable Energy Bills Pass Indiana House

The Hoosier Environmental Council (HEC) provided this update on the renewable energy bills still pending before the 2009 session of the Indiana General Assembly. Now that both SB 420 and SB 300 passed the Indiana House, these bills return to their Senate authors, Sen. Brandt Hershman (R-Monticello) and Sen. James Merritt (R-Indianapolis) for further deliberations before the session ends at the end of April. Both Senators are likely to return the language of their bills back closer to the way they passed the Indiana State Senate earlier this year. Neogotiations will begin next week after Dissent Motions are filed and conference committee members are appointed. Watch this blog for updates!

House Passes First Comprehensive Green Jobs Bill, Thanks to Your Efforts. Your Help Needed in the Final Stretch!

In a bi-partisan fashion, Indiana's House of Representatives passed the first comprehensive green jobs bill in Indiana`s history. However, ultimate victory is not yet ours! House and Senate negotiations now take place on two different versions of SB 300.

The House version of SB 300, which HEC strongly advanced, would require that 15% of Indiana`s electricity come from wind, biomass and solar (not coal) by 2025 and would enable, in unprecedented ways, Hoosiers to produce more affordable clean, renewable energy at their homes and businesses.

SB 420, a competing renewables bill re-defines so-called "clean coal" as renewable energy, also passed the House. These bills will now go to conference committee.

Please continue your support in these last weeks of the legislative session by contacting the expected members of the conference committee and encouraging them to support SB 300, the HEC supported Green Jobs Development Act and oppose SB 420.

For a comparison of these two dramatically different energy visions, see HEC's policy brief. Conference committee member information can be found here. (This is the list of likely conferees since conferees have not been named yet.)

Click here to see the Roll Call on SB 300. 51 House Democrats voting "Yes", 11 House Republicans Voting "Yes", 37 House Republicans Voting "No" and the Speaker "not voting".

Click here to see the Roll Call on SB 420. 93 House Democrats and Republicans voting "Yes", 3 House Democrats voting "No", and 4 including the Speaker "not voting".