EPA to get a handle on greenhouse gases

Gary Post-Tribune Editorial Oct 6, 2009
http://www.post-trib.com/news/opinion/1808201,edit-epa.article

It's about time.

Starting Jan. 1, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will require the largest greenhouse gas emitters to monitor and report what's spewed into the nation's skies.

It's 2009 -- nearly 40 years after the Clean Air Act passed -- and we still have little handle on how much greenhouse gas is emitted each year.

How are we to get a handle on challenging climate change without knowing the full extent of emissions?

(And for those people who insist climate change is a hoax, the Flat Earth Society is seeking like-minded members.)

The new rule covers refineries, iron and steel production, electricity generation, cement production and some municipal solid waste landfills. Small businesses, homeowners and schools are exempt because the EPA is most concerned about the biggest emitters of the gases.

What makes this more important is that the federal mandate affects recalcitrant states that lag not just in environmental enforcement but in environmental concern as well.

Can you say Indiana?

The Hoosier state is just one of nine that has chosen not to be part of the voluntary reporting system called the Climate Registry.

It should come as no surprise that the state is one of a handful that wouldn't be involved voluntarily.

The Daniels administration has shown not just a lack of concern about the environment; it has paraded its antipathy toward green initiatives loudly and clearly around the state.

For the majority of Hoosiers who care about the environment -- in spite of the governor -- it's a tremendous step forward for the state and the country.

It is, after all, hard to fix a problem unless you understand what's causing it.
And it's about time we know.


Rep. Ryan Dvorak (D-South Bend) introduced HB 1352 during the 2009 Regular Session of the Indiana General Assembly.

Synopsis of HB 1352: The climate registry. Requires the state of Indiana to become a member of and participate in the climate registry concerning greenhouse gas emissions reporting and reduction. Requires the governor or the governor's designee to sign the registry's statement of principles and goals to become a member of the registry and deliver a copy of the signed statement to the registry before July 1, 2009. Establishes an exception to the registry membership requirement if a petition of opposition is submitted to the governor by the majority of the local economic development commissions in the state. Allows the governor to withdraw the state from the registry if the governor determines that membership causes a loss of jobs or missed opportunities for jobs.

Indiana Republican Congressmen to Attend Energy Summit in Indianapolis

Note: The purpose of this blog is to discuss renewable energy issues--or the lack thereof--affecting the State of Indiana. Three members of the Indiana Congressional delegation are listed as participating in this event today including: Rep. Mike Pence (IN-6), Rep. Dan Burton (IN-5) and Rep. Steve Buyer (IN-4). Also Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels is scheduled to speak. Watch for Twitter updates!

MEDIA ADVISORY
House Republican Conference
Mike Pence, Chairman

May 25, 2009
For Immediate Release Contact: Matt Lloyd or Mary Vought - 202-226-9000

Congressional Leaders to Host Energy Summit in Indianapolis to Discuss Solutions to America’s Energy Challenges

U.S. House Republican Leadership to Visit Indianapolis This Week as Part of National Energy Tour

Washington, DC- The American Energy Solutions Group (AESG) and its chairman, Congressman Mike Pence, chairman of the House Republican Conference, will hold an Energy Summit in Indianapolis, IN, this week with leading energy experts to discuss solutions to America’s energy challenges.

The AESG will be hosting several summits across the country this week in order to develop policy initiatives to lower energy prices for American families and small businesses, and create energy independence for the American people.

The Indianapolis Energy Summit will take place Wednesday, May 27th at 10:00 a.m. in Indianapolis, IN, at the Central Library of Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library. A press conference will follow the summit at approximately 12:00 pm.

Who:

House Republican Conference & AESG Chairman, Mike Pence (IN-6)
AESG Co-Chairman Rep. Fred Upton (MI-6)
Rep. Dan Burton (IN-5)
Rep. Steve Buyer (IN-4)
Rep. Bob Latta (OH-5)
And other AESG Members

Witnesses:

Governor Mitch Daniels
Mr. Marty Irwin – Center for Coal Technology Research
Mr. Steve Saum – Richmond Power & Light
Mr. Adam Wylie – Metal Technologies, Inc.

When:

Wednesday, May 27, 2009
10:00 am – 12:00 pm (Summit)
12:00 pm (Press Conference)

Where:

*Please note updated address*

Central Library of Indianapolis - Marion County Public Library
Clowes Auditorium
40 E. St. Clair St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Indianapolis Green Business Responds to Governor Daniels WSJ Guest Editorial

Terrence Black, a co-owner of Green Way Supply in Indianapolis and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Indiana Renewable Energy Association wrote the following Guest Editorial in response to Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels article entitled, "Indiana Says 'No Thanks' to Cap and Trade" that appeared in the Friday, May 15, 2009 edition of the Wall Street Journal. The Governor's article appears following this response. Blog readers are encouraged to send their own responses to Governor Daniels to their own local newspapers.

The Smart Money Is On Clean Energy
By TERRENCE BLACK

Friday, Governor Mitch Daniels in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal told the nation that Indiana “says no” to President Obama’s clean energy jobs plan. He couldn’t be more wrong.

With a sagging national economy hitting us hard here in Indiana, everyone in government is looking for ways to stimulate the economy and create jobs – and here in Indianapolis everyone is looking to save money. President Obama has laid out a bold vision for a new energy economy, and we have a chance to take the first step by supporting the clean energy jobs bill now in Congress.

I can tell you first hand that when it comes to creating jobs for Hoosiers, supporting local businesses, and helping residents save money, the smart money is on clean energy. My business is growing, we just doubled the number of employees here in Indianapolis. In the energy area, GREEN WAY SUPPLY helps our clients to reduce their energy use through energy and lighting audits and cutting phantom power loss which reduces their dirty energy use. We are now installing small scale commercial and residential wind turbines and photovoltaic systems that are true CLEAN ENERGY generators.

As my business grows, which it would under President Obama’s clean energy plan, I'll save more customers money on energy, that will clear our air and I’ll not only hire new people, but I’ll need more products and equipment, you name it. My business supports more than a dozen local Indiana companies that are the leading edge of a new GREEN ECONOMY – one that has the potential to power us into a new era of prosperity and energy independence. Around the country there are thousands more start-ups and well established companies moving into the GREEN ECONOMY because they see the potential for growth.

Study after study has shown what I know from on-the-ground experience: investing in new, clean energy creates jobs at a much far faster rate than investments in old, dirty energy sources like oil and gas. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts found that investments in clean energy produce two to three times as many jobs as investments in dirty, low-tech energy. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Department of Energy have issued similar findings. Why settle for half as many jobs when we could have double, or even triple?

Take wind for example. Even in a down economy, wind energy business is booming. More people are employed today in wind energy than in coal mining. The American Wind Energy Association recently reported that they installed twice as much capacity in the first quarter of 2009 than the same period last year. Indiana is the fastest-growing wind energy market in the country, with the potential to meet all the state’s energy needs with clean, renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and clean biomass. In the last two weeks I attended the National Wind Conference in Chicago and the National Solar Conference in Buffalo. Renewables have been growing at 40% per year sense 1996, from 47 MW to 3700 MW. New clean energy technologies are already growing our economy. These are good, high-paying jobs that can never be shipped overseas. After all, you can’t retrofit buildings in Muncie, install solar panels in South Bend or power a farm in Evansville with wind from anywhere but here.

Retrofitting and weatherizing homes and businesses will also jump start our economy in a multitude of ways. Once those homes and businesses stop wasting energy, it means more money in people’s pockets. Any increase in energy prices can easily be offset by simple conservation measures like CFL’s, programmable thermostats and weatherization. The Department of Energy’s home weatherization program cuts energy costs by an average of 30 percent per home.

Renewable energy saves consumers even more money too by insulating consumers from the price shocks that come with our over dependence on oil and coal. The Union of Concerned Scientists projects that the clean energy goals in President Obama’s plan will save Indiana ratepayers $2.12 billion over the next 15 years. Those savings will spur consumer spending – helping to create even more jobs. When businesses become more energy efficient they can save money, too. When you can reduce a company’s energy costs that business can keep or hire more employees. The same goes for our schools, police stations, post offices, and other local government operations. That grows our economy.

Across the country, communities are already seeing the benefits of the clean energy economy. Farmers and ranchers in Iowa, Colorado and Texas are installing wind turbines and selling power back to the grid. Laid-off autoworkers in Michigan and Ohio are going to work building solar panels. And steelworkers in Pennsylvania and right here in Indiana are building wind turbines.

But old energy, the oil and coal corporations are pouring money into ad campaigns and lobbying to stop this bill. For years, they have had a stranglehold on our energy policy. As a result, they’ve continued to post record profits while our economy has spiraled – and Americans have paid, at the pump and in utility bills at home and work. The clean energy jobs bill will help level the playing field for the small businesses that represent the energy economy of the future.

That’s why it’s critical that Indiana’s Congressional delegation does everything they can to make sure we pass a strong clean energy jobs bill—the first step towards realizing President Obama’s vision for a new energy economy. If Congress does its part, I and other local business leaders like me are ready to do ours. We’ll use this moment to scale up our businesses, hire more people, and pass on savings to local residents.

I like Obama’s plan, I think it makes sense for Hoosiers and all Americans because right now it’s all about JOBS, cleaner air is the bonus.

Terrence Black

Green Way Supply
620 N. Delaware
Indianapolis, IN 462204
tblack@greenwaysupply.net
317-822-8505 317-201-4435 cell

Indiana Says 'No Thanks' to Cap and Trade
No honest person thinks this will make a dent in climate change.

By MITCH DANIELS

This week Congress is set to release the details of the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act, a bill that purports to combat global warming by setting strict limits on carbon emissions. I'm not a candidate for any office -- now or ever again -- and I've approached the "climate change" debate with an open-mind. But it's clear to me that the nation, and in particular Indiana, my home state, will be terribly disserved by this cap-and-trade policy on the verge of passage in the House.

The largest scientific and economic questions are being addressed by others, so I will confine myself to reporting about how all this looks from the receiving end of the taxes, restrictions and mandates Congress is now proposing.

Quite simply, it looks like imperialism. This bill would impose enormous taxes and restrictions on free commerce by wealthy but faltering powers -- California, Massachusetts and New York -- seeking to exploit politically weaker colonies in order to prop up their own decaying economies. Because proceeds from their new taxes, levied mostly on us, will be spent on their social programs while negatively impacting our economy, we Hoosiers decline to submit meekly.
The Waxman-Markey legislation would more than double electricity bills in Indiana. Years of reform in taxation, regulation and infrastructure-building would be largely erased at a stroke. In recent years, Indiana has led the nation in capturing international investment, repatriating dollars spent on foreign goods or oil and employing Americans with them. Waxman-Markey seems designed to reverse that flow. "Closed: Gone to China" signs would cover Indiana's stores and factories.

Our state's share of national income has been slipping for decades,but it is offset in part by living costs some 8% lower than the national average. Doubled utility bills for low-income Hoosiers would be an especially cruel consequence of the Waxman bill. Forgive us for not being impressed at danglings of welfare-like repayments to some of those still employed, with some fraction of the dollars extracted from our state.

And for what? No honest estimate pretends to suggest that a U.S. cap-and-trade regime will move the world's thermometer by so much as a tenth of a degree a half century from now. My fellow citizens are being ordered to accept impoverishment for a policy that won't save a single polar bear.

We are told that although China, India and others show no signs of joining in this dismal process, we will eventually induce their participation by "setting an example." Watching the impending indigence of the Midwest, and the flow of jobs from our shores to theirs, our friends in Asia and the Third World are far more likely to choose any other path but ours.

Politicians in Washington speak of a reawakened appreciation for manufacturing and American competitiveness. But under their policy, those who make real products will suffer. Already we observe the piranha swarm of green lobbyists wangling special exemptions, subsidies and side deals. The ordinary Hoosier was not invited to this party, and can expect at most only table scraps at the service entrance.

No one in Indiana is arguing for the status quo: Hoosiers have been eager to pursue a new energy future. We rocketed from nowhere to national leadership in biofuels production in the last four years. We were the No. 1 state in the growth of wind power in 2008. And we have embarked on an aggressive energy-conservation program, indubitably the most cost-effective means of limiting CO2.

Most importantly, we are out to be the world leader in making clean coal -- including the potential for carbon capture and sequestration. The world's first commercial-scale clean coal power plant is under construction in our state, and the first modern coal-to-natural gas plant is coming right behind it. We eagerly accept the responsibility to develop alternatives to the punitive, inequitable taxation of cap and trade.

Our president has commendably committed himself to "government that works." But his imperial climate-change policy is government that cannot work, and we humble colonials out here in the provinces have no choice but to petition for relief from the Crown's impositions.

Mr. Daniels, a Republican, is the governor of Indiana .


Office of the Governor
Statehouse
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204-2797
317-232-4567

David Pippen, Policy Director for Environment and Natural Resources (including energy)
Governor's Office
200 W Washington St., Room 206
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317-233-9204
dpippen@gov.in.gov

Governor's campaign website: www.mymanmitch.com

Rep. Dvorak Responds to Governor Daniels Veto of Energy Efficiency Code Bill--HEA 1348

From the Indiana House of Representatives

Media Office
Democratic Caucus
John Schorg, Director
Statehouse, Room 157
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
1-800-382-9842 or 1-317-232-9621
Fax Number: 1-317-232-9792

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 12, 2009

GOVERNOR’S VETO REJECTS GOOD PUBLIC POLICY

INDIANAPOLIS – Gov. Mitch Daniels vetoed House Enrolled Act 1348 (HEA 1348) Tuesday. He wrote in a media advisory that the bill “does constitute good policy”, but “it is completely superfluous.” The bill’s author, State Rep. Ryan Dvorak (D-South Bend), plans to seek an override of the veto.

The bill would require Indiana to update its energy efficiency codes for the construction of new commercial buildings. The existing energy efficiency code is nearly two decades old and fails to account for the latest in cost-saving features that are used in other states. “The updated code required by House Enrolled Act 1348 will not only cut energy consumption,” Dvorak said, “but also create jobs in the building trades and reduce overhead costs for Indiana businesses.”

Dvorak responded to the governor’s statement by saying that this bill is necessary when Indiana trails so far behind the rest of the nation in implementing energy conservation standards.

“Gov. Daniels said he has already begun the process of updating the state energy code,” Dvorak added. “However, the Governor’s efforts only began after the Legislature held hearings on Indiana’s lack of progress on the issue. As a result of those hearings, I filed legislation to require the state to act. Indiana has initiated this process in the past, but never followed through with changes. HEA 1348 would ensure that this time Indiana will complete its work by July 1, 2010.

“I am absolutely baffled by Gov. Daniels’ veto,” continued Dvorak. “We worked with his administration to incorporate their suggested changes to the bill’s language and never once did they testify in opposition to the legislation, much less threaten the veto of it. I will seek an override of Gov. Daniels’ veto to ensure these much needed changes finally occur.”

The final version of the bill passed the House by a vote of 91-0 and the Senate by a 47-2 margin.

Click here to read the Governor's Veto Message.

Click Here for more information on HB 1348.

Democratic Candidate for Governor Announces Net Metering Policy

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jill Long Thompson held a series of news conferences throughout Indiana on Wednesday, July 30, 2008, announcing her Green Jobs Initiative. She was joined by her candidate for Lt. Governor, Dennie Oxley.

You need to go to the campaign website to find the real meat on the bones. See http://jill.3cdn.net/898798a861e1e9d879_2ym6ivndc.pdf

Indiana Renew readers will be pleased to find the following statement on Net Metering:

Modernize the Net Metering Rules. Net metering refers to a billing process by which customers realize savings from generating their own power. It essentially enables customers to put more power back on the grid and run their meters backward. According to a 2007 report by the Network of New Energy Choices, Indiana has one of the worst net metering rules in the nation.19 The report contends that our state’s net meting rules are among the most restrictive of all states. This must change. As Governor, I will convene a work group immediately upon taking office and direct them to review the following issues and make recommendations for change:

• Expand the net metering rules to include commercial and industrial customers as well as rural electric cooperatives in order to increase the supply of power from renewable energy resources;
• Broaden the definition of eligible renewable resources20 to include other resources;
• Increase the net metering cap – the amount of electricity customers can put back on the grid –to a level that either exceeds or is consistent with levels set by neighboring states; and
• Work with Hoosier utility companies to promote our net metering rules once they have been updated so customers are aware that this option exists.
  
  The work group will be required to provide me with their recommendations within 6 months of being formed. Failure to act on this important issue could mean that manufacturing and technology companies, in particular, could experience an increase in their operational costs if they are unable to benefit from net metering in the near future, which is unacceptable. In addition, by enhancing our net metering rules it will allow Hoosiers to save on their electric bill as well as create jobs for the production, installation, and service of these consumer renewable energy products.
  

This statement by Thompson dovetails remarks made by several individuals on 07/08/08 in Ft. Wayne on net metering made at the public field hearing in the Indiana and Michigan Electric Company rate increse request in Cause No. 43306. See http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080709/NEWS/807090303.

This morning’s Indianapolis Star article that describes her initiatives as well as the response of Republican candidate and incumbent Governor Mitch Daniels can be found at:

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080731/NEWS0502/807310449/1008/LOCAL19

The Indianapolis Star article also lists a variety of energy initiatives taken by the Daniel’s administration including the Executive Order he issued last month on energy efficiency standards for state buildings. This Executive Order does appear as a reaction to HB 1280 filed by State Rep. Matt Pierce (D-Bloomington). The bill was gutted and enacted merely as a study.

See previous posts:

http://indianarenew.blogspot.com/2008/01/hb-1280-to-require-energy-efficient.html


See Governor Mitch Daniels Issues Executive Order on LEED Silver Standards for State Buildings on June 24, 2008. http://www.in.gov/gov/files/EO_08_14.pdf

The complete text of the news release is posted below and can be found at:

http://www.hoosierpoliticalreport.com/2008/07/release-long-thompson-oxley-an.html

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: July 30, 2008



Media Contact: Jeff Harris or

Jason Tomcsi, 317-635-5455


LONG THOMPSON, OXLEY ANNOUNCE GREEN JOBS INITIATIVE


Plan focuses on creating jobs through clean energy investment and reform



INDIANAPOLIS - In a sweeping proposal designed to reinvigorate Indiana by growing a cleaner and greener economy, today Jill Long Thompson and Dennie Oxley unveiled their "Green Jobs Initiative" in stops around the state.



The proposal centers on the creation of new, good-paying jobs through targeted investments and an increased commitment to new environmental and energy standards. It is the first in a series of policy proposals the Democratic candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor will introduce as a part of their "One Indiana Plan" to create an economy that works for all Hoosiers.



"Hoosiers need a responsible, rational approach to harness our clean energy potential," said Long Thompson. "By implementing my plan we will be able to tap into our highly skilled workforce to create thousands of green jobs, which are desperately needed to replace the ones that we have lost. These jobs will reignite our economy and put Indiana on a solid path of economic growth."



A study by the Blue Green Alliance found that nearly 340,000 existing Hoosier jobs could benefit from investments in clean energy. In the manufacturing sector alone, the same report found that Indiana has the potential to create as many as 25,180 new jobs from wind turbine manufacturing and an additional 7,485 new jobs in solar component manufacturing.



"Energy improvements save money, reduce consumption, and when done right, can also stimulate the economy and lead to the creation of more jobs," said Oxley. "The lack of leadership from this administration has caused Indiana to waste an historic opportunity to not only help address the global energy crisis, but to improve our environment and create thousands of good-paying jobs."



According to a recent ranking by Forbes Magazine of the "Greenest States" in the nation, Indiana received the dubious ranking of 49th. The ranking also showed that Indiana has the 6th highest carbon footprint of all states. Long Thompson and Oxley's plan has three major components to grow a cleaner, greener economy and achieve greater energy independence.



Growing Green Jobs

• Implement a "Green Boost": An extension of their "Economic Tiers" proposal, a Long Thompson/Oxley administration would create a Green Boost incentive to encourage the further development of a green economy. Under the plan, companies eligible for assistance under the tiers program could receive an additional one-time $500 tax credit for any new green job created. Businesses that purchase equipment to lessen its environmental impact or energy usage would also be provided with an additional 3 percent tax credit.


• The economic tiers program, which was unveiled earlier this year, directs the state's resources to struggling counties. Under the Long Thompson/Oxley plan, each of the state's 92 counties would be categorized into three different tiers with graduated job growth incentives distributed based on several economic indicators, including unemployment rate, median household income, population growth and assessed property value per capita in the county.


• Increase Funding for Research and Technology: As Governor, Long Thompson would direct half of the nearly $35 million in funding from the 21st Century Research & Technology Fund to start-up businesses developing new technology and conducting energy and environmental research and development in Indiana.


• Create a Clean Energy Fund: A clean energy fund will provide the opportunity for a funding stream to achieve our energy, environmental, and economic goals. Research shows that states investing in clean technology and renewable energy are better positioned to receive federal funding and private research dollars. Jill Long Thompson would direct $10 million per year from existing incentive programs to create a Clean Energy Fund to invest in innovative clean technology and renewable energy projects.


• Direct Investments to Sustainable Energy Technology and Environmentally Responsible Companies: Following the lead of several other states, the Long Thompson/Oxley administration would work with the trustees of the Public Employees' Retirement Fund and the Teachers' Retirement Fund to devise a strategy to invest in Indiana companies that are developing alternative energy and clean technology to help provide additional support to these growing companies.


• Modernize Indiana's Net Metering Rules: To encourage the increased use of alternative energy sources - like solar or wind power -the Long Thompson/Oxley administration would enhance the state net metering guidelines. Under their plan, those that generate more power than required to operate their homes or businesses and add energy to the power grid would have their utility bills reduced. In addition to providing Hoosiers with cost-savings, the move could create additional jobs as the demand for green technologies increase.

Energy Efficiency in Government

• Set New Building Standards: Long Thompson would require that all new state facilities meet Leadership in Energy Efficiency Design (LEED), Green Global, or other comparable standards to ensure maximum environmental and efficiency performance.


• Conduct Energy Audits: The Long Thompson/Oxley administration would conduct full-scale energy audits of all state government facilities to benchmark energy usage. In addition to serving as the basis for usage reduction plans, the assessments would guide future maintenance priorities.


• Purchase Flex Fuel Vehicles: As Governor, Long Thompson would ensure that new vehicles purchased by the state are capable of running on E-85 gasoline blends or diesel vehicles that can operate on biodiesel, making certain that state vehicles are fueled with cleaner burning E-85 and biodiesel fuels whenever possible.


• Establish a Green Purchasing Policy: The Long Thompson/Oxley administration would put in place state purchasing guidelines to ensure state dollars are spent responsibly with minimal impact to our carbon footprint.

"Not only will this green strategy create jobs and reduce our environmental impact, it has the potential to reshape Indiana's future," said Long Thompson. "These are not just goals - this is a clear plan of action for creating new jobs and new opportunities for all Hoosiers."

Known for her ability to get things done, Jill Long Thompson is an accomplished public servant. She has served as a city councilor, a Congresswoman and as Under Secretary for Rural Development at the United States Department of Agriculture. Long Thompson grew up on her family's farm in rural Whitley County and was the first in her family to go to college. She received her undergraduate degree from Valparaiso University and went on to earn a master's and Ph.D. in business from Indiana University. A farmer and college professor by trade, Long Thompson lives with her husband Don Thompson, a commercial airline pilot, on their farm in Marshall County.

Dennie Oxley is a 10-year veteran of the state legislature, currently serving as the Majority Whip in the Indiana House of Representatives. A former high school math teacher, school administrator and businessman, Oxley brings a wealth of public and private sector experience to the team. Oxley is a graduate of Indiana University Southeast, where he earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in education. A lifelong resident of English, a small community in Crawford County, he resides there with his wife, Jayme, and their two young daughters.

For more information about Jill Long Thompson, Dennie Oxley or their campaign to restore Indiana's promise, please visit www.hoosiersforjill.com or call 317-635-Jill.
###

GREEN JOBS FACT SHEET:

Green Trades in Indiana (Source: www.bluegreenalliance.org/gjfa)

• Carpenters will be needed to make buildings more energy efficient. There are nearly 24,000 carpenters in Indiana, paid an average of nearly $18 per hour.


• Electricians are essential to expanding mass transit solutions. There are 15,000 electricians in Indiana, paid an average of nearly $24 per hour.


• Operations managers are needed to manufacture energy-efficient automobiles. There are nearly 25,000 operations managers in Indiana, paid an average of nearly $42 per hour.


• Machinists craft essential components for wind power. There are nearly 15,000 machinists in Indiana, paid an average of over $17 per hour.


• Welders are vital to solar power manufacturing. There are over 12,000 welders in Indiana, paid an average of over $15 per hour.


• Industrial truck drivers transport supplies and fuels for the cellulosic biofuels sector. There are nearly 22,000 industrial truck drivers in Indiana, paid an average of over $14 per hour.

Green Opportunities in Indiana Agriculture

(Source: www.apolloalliance.org/resources_rural.php)

• Alternative energy sources provide many opportunities for agricultural and rural communities to take advantage of their assets, including the availability of crops and open land to generate energy.


• If farmers dedicated land to a variety of crops such as corn, soybeans and switchgrass which can be turned into electricity and fuel, biomass has the potential to provide 14% of electricity and 13% of motor fuel use.


• The Department of Energy estimates that if wind power comprised just 5% of the U.S. electricity market, $60 billion in capital investment would be poured into rural communities.


• These investments would provide $1.2 billion to landowners and farmers, and create 80,000 new jobs.

Other type of Green Jobs

(Source: www.bluegreenalliance.org/gjfa)

• Building Retrofitting: Electricians, heating/air conditioning installers, carpenters, construction, equipment operators, roofers, insulation workers, carpenter helpers, industrial truck drivers, construction managers, building inspectors.


• Mass Transit: Civil engineers, rail track layers, electricians, welders, metal fabricators, engine assemblers, production helpers, bus drivers, first-line transportation supervisors, dispatchers.


• Energy Efficient Automobiles: Computer software engineers, electrical engineers, engineering technicians, welders, transportation equipment painters, metal fabricators, computer-controlled machine operators, engine assemblers, production helpers, operations managers.


• Wind Power: Environmental engineers, iron and steel workers, millwrights, sheet metal workers, machinists, electrical equipment assemblers, construction equipment operators, industrial truck drivers, industrial production managers, first-line production supervisors.


• Solar Power: Electrical engineers, electricians, industrial machinery mechanics, welders, metal fabricators, electrical equipment assemblers, construction equipment operators, installation helpers, laborers, construction managers.


• Cellulosic Biofuels: Chemical engineers, chemists, chemical equipment operators, chemical technicians, mixing and blending machine operators, agricultural workers, industrial truck drivers, farm product purchasers, agricultural and forestry supervisors, agricultural inspectors.