The Indiana state legislature convened January 8 and we have our first glimpse at the energy future Governor Braun and State Lawmakers have in mind for Indiana. Multiple bills (House Bill 1007, Senate Bill 423, and Senate Bill 424) were introduced paving the way for a gold rush of unproven nuclear power plant development in our state. Simultaneously, HB 1007 throws up roadblocks to retiring coal plants that are driving our climate crisis while polluting our air and water. At the center of it all are handouts to billion dollar tech companies, and monopoly electric companies.
Contact your State Representative now to say NO to coal bailouts and nuclear payouts!
Should HB 1007 become law, we face costly detours on the road to affordable renewable energy that benefits all Hoosiers. In 2023 the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) exited plans with NuScale to build 462 MW of nuclear power generation, a small amount of power. An understandable decision after the estimated cost of construction had risen to $9.3 billion and the promise of building Small Scale Nuclear Reactors was a failure.
Today, there are no examples of functioning SMR’s in the United States - this technology remains unproven and obscenely expensive. Even Duke Energy’s disastrous $3.5 billion 798 MW Edwardsport Coal Gasification plant looks affordable by comparison. It’s no surprise that Duke is pursuing SMR’s given their history of profiting off of experimental technology.
House Bill 1007 could put Hoosiers on the line for the costs of developing unproven SMR’s, and reverse the progress our utilities have made in transitioning away from coal. Hoosier customers can ill afford the massive rate increases that will come from Indiana’s experiment with nuclear power if HB 1007 becomes law. Customers are already being asked to put too many of our hard earned dollars into aging and expensive coal plants operating past their useful life. Adding more delays and regulatory costs to retiring coal plants will only compound the energy affordability crisis faced by Hoosier families.
Tell your Indiana legislators, we need a measured energy policy that promotes the affordable renewable energy solutions that are already here!