Sierra Club — “Indiana regulators decline to scrutinize IPL coal practices but continue Duke review”
Catherine Morehouse, Utility Dive, June 9, 2020
Dive Brief:
- Indiana regulators last week denied Sierra Club’s motion to open a subdocket on Indianapolis Power and Light’s (IPL) coal plant operations, despite opening a subdocket for Duke Energy’s coal plant commitments in March.
- Testimony from the Sierra Club did not adequately take into account non-economic factors a utility must consider when self-committing, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) wrote in its order. “We find that price risk, reliability, and operational needs are also reasonably factored into the decision process.”
- Sierra Club says an inability to provide rebuttal testimony because of a hastened proceeding under COVID-19 guidelines prevented the group from responding in full to the utility’s testimony. The environmental group and Citizens Action Coalition (CAC) of Indiana are now focused on the Duke subdocket, which regulators opened based on evidence the utility lost $6.9 million over three months last year due to its coal plant commitment practices.
Sierra Club — “Michigan City Residents Protest Proposed NIPSCO Rate Increase”
The NAACP and the Sierra Club hosted the protest. La’Tonya Troutman, with the LaPorte County NAACP, attended the protest. She says if NIPSCO follows through with their plan, low-income customers will have to pull money from other areas of their budget to be able to pay their bill.
Sierra Club, Hoosier Interfaith Power & Light, Earth Charter — “First-Ever Renewable Energy Day Held at the Statehouse”
John Mundell is a member of Hoosier Interfaith Power & Light and the Archdiocese Creation Care Team of Indianapolis. He said he was invited to help launch part of the Global Catholic Climate Unit by the Vatican after Pope Francis published his encyclical.
Sierra Club — “Indiana Utility Will Close Coal-Fired Units Early”
The Sierra Club, among the environmental groups that have referred to the Petersburg plant as a “super polluter,” in a statement said it was pleased with the decision to close two coal units at the plant, and said it would continue to push for IPL to stop using coal altogether.