Thursday, February 27, 2014

Indiana might eliminate energy-efficiency program

As governor of Indiana, Mitch Daniels initiated a clean-energy program that environmentalists saw as a method to reduce costs and clean the air, but yesterday the state House passed a bill to end the program. The program forced electricity customers to pay a fee each month to fund energy-efficiency programs. "Since 2012, the state has used the funds to conduct energy audits and weatherization programs and to provide energy-saving light bulbs and other energy-saving programs," John Russell writes for The Indianapolis Star. The bill would also prevent the state from making utilities achieve particular efficiency goals.

Environmentalists said the program conserved enough energy every year to provide power for 64,000 homes, but critics called it executive overreach because the legislature didn't approve it and because it costs several extra dollars per month for homeowners but even more for big companies that use a lot of energy. The measure to end the program was an amendment to a Senate bill, which will go back to the Senate for consideration. (Read more)

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