Indiana is among the top producers of carbon pollution, and under the rule announced Monday, the state needs to reduce carbon pollution from power plants by 20 percent by 2030.
Rev. Lyle McKee of St. Thomas Lutheran Church in Bloomington and board chair of Hoosier Interfaith Power and Light, says the measure will help fulfill the nation’s moral and ethical obligation to end the pollution contributing to climate change.
“It’s sort of high time we see some actual limits on carbon put forth,” he says. “Just across the board, people see these problems and see it as a call of conscience and of faith to be active.”
Gov. Mike Pence says Indiana will oppose the regulations and that an energy strategy is needed that will incorporate all forms of energy, including wind, solar, natural gas and coal resources.
Indiana gets 80 percent of its electricity from coal.
Jodi Perras, a representative of the Sierra Club Beyond Coal campaign, says the goal is an achievable challenge that needs to be taken on immediately to spur job creation.
“Why can’t we focus on manufacturing solar panels and wind turbines and support more of our businesses that are already manufacturing good energy-efficiency projects?” she asks. “There are good jobs that are to be had in the clean-energy economy of the 21st century, and we just need to get in the race for that.”
Perras says state leaders need to start planning for how to replace the state’s aging coal-fired power plants with clean energy that is healthy for communities.
She says a first step would be to bring back Indiana’s recently cut energy-efficiency program.
“If you don’t generate the energy in the first place, it’s cheaper and cleaner and the best way to reduce carbon pollution is to not have to run a coal plant to begin with,” she points out.
McKee adds that action on carbon pollution is needed now to reduce the climate disruptions such as floods and storms that are impacting lives across the globe.
“If we actually do cut this, we will lead the world, which we certainly need to do,” he says. “We’ve been the major polluter. We should certainly lead the world in reducing the pollution that’s causing devastation around the planet.”
Statement from Governor Mike Pence:
Governor Pence issued the following statement after President Obama and the EPA proposed this morning that states be required under the Clean Air Act to reduce carbon emissions from existing power plants by 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030.
“Once again, the Obama Administration is advancing its anti-coal agenda without regard for the impact on the U.S. economy or American workers.
“As a state that relies heavily on coal-burning power plants, these proposed regulations will be devastating for Hoosier workers and families. They will cost us in higher electricity rates, in lost jobs, and in lost business growth due to a lack of affordable, reliable electricity. Indiana will oppose these regulations using every means available.
“The proposal makes good on then presidential candidate Obama’s statements in 2008 that under his plan electricity prices would ‘necessarily skyrocket,’ and that anyone who built a coal-fired electricity power plant would be bankrupted.
“The president and Democrats in Congress tried to force these rules through in 2009 with their cap and trade scheme. I opposed them then, and I oppose them now.
“The president’s plan today will dramatically raise electricity rates in a way that will be passed onto consumers in the form of higher bills. A typical household could lose $3,400 in disposable income. That will hit our lower-income and younger workers the hardest, hurting those who are trying their best to get ahead.
“In Indiana we produce more than 80 percent of our electricity from coal, and more than 3,500 hard-working Hoosiers are employed in the coal industry. We are a manufacturing state that is competitive in part based on our low cost of energy. Raising the cost of electricity through these proposed EPA regulations will slow manufacturing and hurt Hoosiers across our economy.
“I believe that our nation is best served by a true all of the above energy strategy that incorporates all forms of energy. We need our wind, solar, nuclear, natural gas, and coal resources to power our economy and provide the quality of life Hoosiers and other Americans expect.
“My administration is working on a new energy plan now, including updated energy efficiency measures that will go before the General Assembly next year. I believe that we can find a better way to protect not only the health of our environment, but also the health of our economy and our position in the global marketplace. The president’s proposal does not strike that balance, and I will oppose it while at the same time seeking to find common-sense solutions that promote job creation and economic growth and protect Hoosier rate-payers and employees.”
