Indiana House Committee Rosters Released

The Committee rosters for the Indiana House of Representatives were released today. The 2009 House Committee that we expect will hear renewable energy legislation is as follows:

2009-10 House Commerce, Energy, Technology
and Utilities Committee Members

Rep. Win Moses, Chair, HD 81 (D-Fort Wayne)
Rep. Matt Pierce, Vice Chair, HD 61 (D-Bloomington)
Rep. Kreg Battles, HD 64 (D-Vincennes)
Rep. Sandy Blanton, HD 62 (D-Orleans)
Rep. Ryan Dvorak, HD 8 (D-South Bend)
Rep. Scott Reske, HD 37 (D-Pendleton)
Rep. Dan Stevenson, HD 11 (D-Highland)
Rep. Jack Lutz, RMM, HD 35, (R-Anderson)
Rep. Eric Koch, HD 65 (R-Bedford)
Rep. Robert Behning, HD 91 (R-Indianapolis)
Rep. David Frizzell, HD 93 (R-Indianapolis)
Rep. Ed Soliday, HD 4 (R-Valparaiso)

Key:
RMM = Ranking Minority Member
HD = House District
E-mail: h#@in.gov,
Note: in place of the "#" symbol, add the legislator's district number (one or two digits)

If your state legislator serves on this committee, we urge you to contact them and to express your support for renewable energy before the 2009 session of the Indiana General re-convenes on January 7, 2009.

Please check back to our blog for more details on renewable energy issues expected to be addressed by the 2009 Indiana General Assembly including net metering and a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES). We would appreciate your sharing with us any feedback you receive from your state legislators on these issues.

Committee Chairs for 2009 Indiana General Assembly

This week Indiana House Speaker B. Patrick Bauer (D-South Bend) released the list of Chairs and Vice Chairs for the upcoming 2009 session of the Indiana General Assembly. Much to the surprise of veteran State House observers, Rep. Win Moses, Jr. (D-Fort Wayne) was named Chair of the House Commerce, Energy, Technology and Utilities Committee and Rep. Matt Pierce (D-Bloomington) was named Vice Chair. Neither of these state legislators were even members of this committee during the last session. The complete roster of the membership of the House Committees has not been released yet.

A big CONGRATULATIONS to both Rep. Moses and Rep. Pierce. Also a big THANK YOU to House Speaker Bauer for having appointed these two visionary state legislators to lead the energy discussion in the Indiana House during the upcoming session of the Indiana General Assembly.

Earlier this month Senate Pro Tem David Long (R-Fort Wayne) appointed State Senator Jim Merritt, Jr. (R-Indianapolis) to chair the Senate Utilities and Technology Committee. The members of the Senate Utilities and Technology Committee for 2009 will be as follows:

Sen. James Merrit, Chair (District 31)
Sen. Ed Charbonneau (District 5)
Sen. Beverly Gard (District 28)
Sen. Dennis Kruse (District 14)
Sen. Jean Leising (District 42)
Sen. Marlin Stutzman (District 13)
Sen. Carlin Yoder (District 12)
Sen. Jean Breaux (District 34)
Sen. Bob Deig (District 49)
Sen. Sue Errington (District 26)
Sen. Lonnie Randolph (District 2)

We would also like to CONGRATULATE Sen. Merritt on his new chairmanship and to thank Sen. Long for appointing Sen. Merritt to head this important committee in the State Senate.

If your state legislator serves on these committees, we encourage you to talk to them about your interest and support for renewable energy. More information will be forthcoming in the next few weeks.

Solar Energy Poised to Put Americans Back to Work

Solar Energy Industries Association Announces Policy Priorities

for Obama Administration, 111th Congress

WASHINGTON, DC – The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) today (12/03/08) outlined the key policies that President-elect Obama and the Congressional leadership must address to expand the use of solar energy and help put over 1 million Americans back to work by 2011.

SEIA released “Solar Energy: A Blueprint for Job Creation and Economic Security,” which recommends that the new Administration and Congress embrace the following policies and programs to expand the creation of clean energy jobs in the United States:

· Improve solar tax credits
· Increase government procurement of solar power
· Create tax incentives for manufacturing
· Pass a national renewable portfolio standard with solar provisions
· Expand and update transmission infrastructure
· Improve access to federal lands to harness our vast solar resources
· Create a federal clean energy bank
· Create the office of Renewable Energy Development
· Establish national standards for interconnection and net metering
· Increase DOE Solar Appropriations
· Enact climate legislation to reduce carbon emissions, stimulate solar generation

SEIA President Rhone Resch said, “President-elect Obama and the new Congress have expressed their commitment to addressing our current economic crisis. Increasing the use of solar energy will create millions of new jobs and put billions of dollars into the U.S. economy, providing a clean, reliable and domestic source of energy while providing a clean, reliable and domestic source of energy,.

“The growth of solar energy will not happen quickly enough without the right federal policies to stimulate the market and remove fundamental barriers that prevent solar from competing in the electricity marketplace.

“To stimulate this growth, the Solar Energy Industries Association is recommending to the Obama Administration and the 111th Congress a number of immediate and near-term policies to stimulate the growth of solar energy, including: improving the solar investment tax credits to ensure that they can be utilized as Congress originally intended, creating a government procurement program that deploys solar on federal buildings and lands, and establishing a national renewable portfolio standard that requires a specific amount of energy come from solar.

“We look forward to working with the new Administration and the 111th Congress to achieve these important goals for growing our economy, improving our energy independence and reducing global warming.”

SEIA Board Chairman Roger Efird of Suntech America said, “For solar energy to reach its potential as an economic engine and become an important part of our national energy portfolio, we need government leaders to continue to enact the right policies. These policies, especially in the current economic crisis, will allow companies like mine to grow and create green jobs that will reverse the trend of sending American jobs overseas. Instead, the U.S. can become a destination for international companies to find the skilled professionals they need to compete in the global renewable energy economy.”

SEIA’s will deliver the “Solar Energy: A Blueprint for Job Creation and Economic Security” to each member of President-elect Obama’s energy and economic transition teams and Congressional leadership.

SEIA is comprised of over 800 member companies that manufacture, distribute, sell, design, own, install and finance solar power plants and systems.

Background Materials

“Solar Energy: A Blueprint for Job Creation and Economic Security"

RENEWABLE ENERGY INDUSTRIES READY TO LEAD U.S. ECONOMIC RECOVERY

Trade Association Leaders Outline Key Policies Required

The leaders of the American Wind Energy Association, Geothermal Energy Association, National Hydropower Association and Solar Energy Industries Association today (11/13/08) released the following statement:

The fast-growing renewable energy sector is poised to help lead the U.S. economic recovery with millions of new jobs and billions of private investment dollars. However, the new Administration and Congress need to take action to ensure that the renewable industries’ growth continues, given the current economic realities.

President-elect Obama has made a commitment to key policies that will spur substantial growth in America’s clean renewable energy industries and create millions of new jobs.

Building upon these key policies, the renewable energy industries’ top priorities for the Obama Administration and the 111th Congress include:

• Immediate Action:

- Adjust renewable energy tax credit policies so incentives work as intended given current economic conditions.

• 111th Congress:

- Adopt a national renewable electricity (portfolio) standard to ensure that at least 10 percent of electricity consumed in the U.S. is derived from renewable energy sources by 2012, and at least 25 percent by 2025;

- Approve a minimum five-year extension of the federal renewable energy production tax credit (PTC) and additional funding for the Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs) program;

- Issue an Executive Order expanding federal procurement of renewable energy generation to meet the government’s substantial energy supply needs;

- Launch a major initiative to support investment in our nation’s interstate electrical grid infrastructure and smart-grid technology to deliver green energy from areas with renewable resources to population centers and to support distributed power generation;

- Invest $30 billion in 2009 for financing options that support new project development and installations for all renewable energy technologies as part of the Administration’s commitment to investment of $150 billion over the next ten years in clean energy technologies;

- Adopt a cap-and-trade regime to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that rewards production of clean renewable energy.

If the Administration and Congress can quickly implement these policies, renewable energy growth will help turn around the economic decline while at the same time addressing some of our most pressing national security and environmental problems. Expansion of renewable energy production will mean billions of dollars in economic growth, millions of new jobs, enhanced energy security as we increase domestic energy production, and critically important progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Randall Swisher, Executive Director, American Wind Energy Association, www.awea.org, 202.383.2508

Karl Gawell, Executive Director, Geothermal Energy Association, www.geo-energy.org, 202.454.5261

Linda Church Ciocci, Executive Director, National Hydropower Association, www.hydro.org, 202.682.1700

Rhone Resch, President, Solar Energy Industries Association, www.seia.org, 202.682.0556

EQSC Hears Testimony on Green Buildings

Members of the Environmental Quality Service Council (EQSC) heard testimony on a variety of topics including including green buildings, the Indiana Energy Code and geothermal energy.

Please find below testimony presented by Bill Brown on behalf of the Indiana Chapter of AIA and the Indiana Chapter of the US Green Building Council. Others testifying included Fred Gray with Green Way Supply, Tim Maloney with the Hoosier Environmental Council, Tony Cooper with Water Furnace as well as several students with the DePauw University Environmental Policy Project. Testimony was also presented by the Indiana Association of Counties, the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns, the Indiana Builders Asociation as well as Hoosier Energy and Randy Stair with Stair Associates.

Rep. Dave Wolkins also distributed a report from the National Center for Policy Analysis by Todd Myers entitled, "Green Schools Don't Make the Grade". See http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba/ba622/

Testimony before the Environmental Quality Service Council (EQSC)
September 16, 2008
William M. Brown, AIA, LEED AP

Mr. Chairman, Members of the Council, my name is Bill Brown and I am an architect representing the American Institute of Architects, Indiana Chapter and U.S. Green Building Council, Indiana Chapter. Both organizations support the Governor’s Executive Order No. 08-14, entitled "Energy Efficient State Building Initiative” and we are prepared to support legislation that moves the state towards more sustainable buildings and communities.

Sustainable building initiatives using the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED benchmark, including legislation, executive orders, resolutions, ordinances, policies, and incentives are found in 44 states, including 159 localities (105 cities, 29 counties, and 25 towns), 31 state governments, 12 federal agencies or departments, 15 public school jurisdictions and 38 institutions of higher education across the United States.

Since Indiana has not updated its energy code, new public buildings may be built to the lowest energy standards in the country and all Hoosier taxpayers pay for that mistake as long as those buildings stand. Any initial savings are erased after a year or two of paying the utility bills and then it is all downhill from there. With energy costs predicted to rise significantly in coming years, this mistake will be become increasingly more apparent.

What the Governor’s executive order mandates that we turn that around and make a sound investment up front that pays increasing dividends for the life of the building. Green buildings have an average return on investment of 25 to 40 percent and the typical payback for the extra initial investment is 3-5 years and falling rapidly (Kats Group). Compare that dividend to other investments the state might make on behalf of taxpayers today. A major cost study by The Langdon Group, Cost of Green Revisited: Reexamining the Feasibility and Cost Impact of Sustainable Design in the Light of Increased Market Adoption showed that there is now “no significant difference in average cost for green buildings as compared to non-green buildings.“

Another study by New Buildings Institute of 1,300 LEED certified and Energy Star buildings showed that new buildings certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED certification system are, on average, performing 25 to 30% better than non-LEED certified buildings in terms of energy use. Gold and Platinum LEED certified buildings have average energy savings approaching 50%.

Under construction now in Indiana are over 125 projects seeking LEED certification totaling over $1 billion in construction cost. These projects range from affordable housing to the new Midfield Terminal. They include new construction, interior remodels, major renovations, factories, warehouses, office buildings and taxpayer-funded public facilities.

Ten buildings have been certified in Indiana at all levels from Certified to Platinum, including five state-funded projects. Leading architects, engineers, contractors and suppliers have learned how to use the system in a manner that is cost effective and economical.

Buildings account for 39% of the total energy use and nearly 70% of the electricity in the United States. Buildings also account for 12% of water use, 30% of greenhouse gas emissions, and 65% of waste output.

Certified green buildings go beyond energy savings, however. A study of certified green buildings by Capital E revealed average energy savings of 30%, carbon savings of 35%, water savings of 30 to 50% and waste cost savings of 50 to 90%.

Sustainable building design incorporates features that reduce overall infrastructure costs for cities, counties and the state by encouraging smarter site selection, reduced water, storm water and sewer needs and less landfill space. Sustainable building rating systems encourage preservation of open space for local agriculture.

Examples:
Five blocks from where you sit is the first LEED certified building in Indianapolis, the headquarters of i.d.o. Incorporated, at 601 North Capitol Avenue. This remodel of an existing building cost a total of $325,000. According to the owner’s records, their additional investment for high performance LEED Silver elements of the building cost an extra $5,850 or 1.8% of the total cost. Their annual return on that investment was 9% for the first year for electricity cost savings alone and that savings is expected to grow as energy costs grow, for the life of the building.

Their return on investment for energy savings are just the beginning. The improvements in comfort, indoor air quality, daylight and view in a certified green building have demonstrated employee productivity gains of 5% to 15% in various studies. Other documented dividends from the investment in green buildings include lower absenteeism, higher employee retention, faster student learning, lower health insurance costs and easier recruiting of new hires.

Improved employee health and productivity are primary reasons why 12 Federal agencies require a LEED Silver or equivalent certification for all major building projects. In the private sector, developers of office buildings have found gains in employee productivity, health and retention to be a driving factor in the exponential growth in the number of LEED certified commercial buildings. McGraw Hill Construction Research predicted that by 2009, 82% of the nation’s 500 largest corporations will have certified at least 16% of their real estate portfolios. It’s time for the state of Indiana to catch this wave.

Chrisney Branch Library, under construction in Spencer County, will be the state’s first net-zero-energy public building. It bid under budget for $140 per square foot. Using a highly efficient building envelope, daylighting, geothermal heating and cooling and an 8.9kW solar photovoltaic array, this public building is designed to have virtually no operating costs and it will be immune to future energy cost increases for the next thirty years. Why aren’t all public buildings built that way?

Existing buildings can also be renovated green with outstanding financial and environmental benefits. Adobe software’s massive office complex recently achieved the highest level LEED Platinum certification for existing buildings. They spent $1.4 million on improvements and received $389,000 in rebates and incentives from their local utility company. They realize $1.2 million in annual savings, a 9.5 month payback and a 121% return on their investment. What if the State of Indiana did that with some of their existing buildings?

I think we can all agree that Indiana public buildings could use some improvement with respect to energy efficiency and sustainability. With any successful improvement process, there is a need for benchmarks, for clear indicators of success. The Governor’s Executive Order and HB1280 contain benchmarks for success. Energy Star is an almost universally accepted benchmark for energy efficiency created by the Department of Energy. USGBC’s LEED rating system incorporates Energy Star and is a more comprehensive benchmark that includes site, water, materials and indoor air quality measures as well. We urge you to tie any legislation for change to a specific benchmark to measure success and avoid charges of greenwashing. The most widely accepted and most comprehensive such benchmark is the LEED rating system, but we also support giving implementers a range of other recognized third-party verification systems.

In closing, on behalf of the American Institute of Architects Indiana Chapter and the U.S. Green Building Council Indiana Chapter, I ask for your support of this important legislation to invest in sustainable buildings for the benefit of all current and future Indiana taxpayers and all those people who will live, learn and work in state buildings. The two organizations I represent will be happy to offer their member’s expertise in further refining legislation that is simple, effective, fair and affordable. I appreciate the opportunity to address you and I will be happy to respond to any questions.

Additional resources:
http://www.aia.org/
http://www.usgbc.org/

Others testifying in favor of Green Buildings.

Fred Gray with Green Way Supply.

Bloomberg Offers Windmill Power Plan; What Are Indiana Mayors Proposing?

I applaud New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's bold plan to put wind turbines on the city's bridges and skyscrapers. Although the City of Indianapolis and other municipalities throughout the State of Indiana may not have the unique perches available in the Big Apple, Indiana Mayors including Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard could learn a thing or two from this bold move.

What do you think?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/nyregion/20windmill.html?ex=1376971200&en=ee19d617dadbcc53&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

August 20, 2008

Bloomberg Offers Windmill Power Plan

By MICHAEL BARBARO

In a plan that would drastically remake New York City’s skyline and shores, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg is seeking to put wind turbines on the city’s bridges and skyscrapers and in its waters as part of a wide-ranging push to develop renewable energy.

The plan, while still in its early stages, appears to be the boldest environmental proposal to date from the mayor, who has made energy efficiency a cornerstone of his administration.

Mr. Bloomberg said he would ask private companies and investors to study how windmills can be built across the city, with the aim of weaning it off the nation’s overtaxed power grid, which has produced several crippling blackouts in New York over the last decade.

Mr. Bloomberg did not specify which skyscrapers and bridges would be candidates for windmills, and city officials would need to work with property owners to identify the buildings that would best be able to hold the equipment.

But aides said that for offshore locations, the city was eyeing the generally windy coast off Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island for turbines that could generate 10 percent of the city’s electricity needs within 10 years.

“When it comes to producing clean power, we’re determined to make New York the No. 1 city in the nation,” Mr. Bloomberg said as he outlined his plans in a speech Tuesday night in Las Vegas, where a major conference on alternative energy is under way.

He later evoked the image of the Statue of Liberty’s torch, saying he imagined it one day “powered by an ocean wind farm.”

But the mayor’s proposal for wind power faces several serious obstacles: People are likely to oppose technologies that alter the appearance of their neighborhoods; wind-harnessing technology can be exceedingly expensive; and Mr. Bloomberg has less than 18 months left in office to put a plan into place.

Turning New York City into a major source of wind power would likely take years, if not decades, and could require a thicket of permits from state and federal agencies. Parts of New York’s coastline, for example, are controlled by the federal government, from which private companies must lease access.

Mr. Bloomberg is known for introducing ambitious proposals that later collapse, as did his congestion-pricing plan for Manhattan.

But aides said he was committed to developing alternative energy sources in the city, and wanted to jump-start the discussion now.

“In New York,” he said in his speech, “we don’t think of alternative power as something that we just import from other parts of the nation.”

Asserting the seriousness of his intentions, aides said, Mr. Bloomberg met privately with T. Boone Pickens, the oil baron who is trying to build the world’s largest wind farm in Texas, to discuss possibilities for such technology in New York.

And on Tuesday afternoon the city issued a formal request to companies around the country for proposals to build wind-, solar- and water-based energy sources in New York. “We want their best ideas for creating both small- and large-scale projects serving New Yorkers,” Mr. Bloomberg said.

Rohit Aggarwala, the director of the city’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability, said that turbines on buildings would likely be much smaller than offshore ones. Several companies are experimenting with models that look like eggbeaters, which the Bloomberg administration says could be integrated into the spires atop the city’s tall buildings. “”You can make them so small that people think they are part of the design,” Mr. Aggarwala said.

“If rooftop wind can make it anywhere, this is a great city,” he said. “We have a lot of tall buildings.”

Creating an offshore wind farm, he said, requires “pretty much the same level of difficulty as drilling an oil rig, but you don’t have to pump oil.”

“You could imagine going as much as 15, 20, 25 miles offshore, where it’s virtually invisible to land,” he said.

Mr. Aggarwala said that developing renewable energy for New York would take considerable time. “Nobody is going to see a wind farm off the coast of Queens in the next year,” he said.
But “the idea of renewable power in and around New York City is very realistic,” he said. “The question is what type makes the most sense and in what time frame. That is what we are trying to figure out.”

The city has experimented with wind power before. It put a turbine on city-owned land at 34th Street and the East River several years ago, but found that the technology was not efficient enough to expand.

The mayor’s plan includes the widespread use of solar panels, possibly on the roofs of public and private buildings. One proposal is to allow companies to rent roofs for solar panels and sell the energy they harvest to residents.

The city is already using tidal turbines under the East River that provide energy to Roosevelt Island. That technology could be widely expanded under the mayor’s proposal.

Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company

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.