Regional Issues
Clean Energy Jobs for Indiana is a coalition of businesses, organizations and energy leaders that support the passage of a 10% Indiana Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) that requires having 10% of Indiana's energy be generated from renewable energy resources by 2020.
Indiana is facing record unemployment, and the state's economy continues to mirror the construction and manufacturing attrition we have seen throughout the country. Pulling out of the economic downturn is going to be a difficult task throughout the Midwest. That being said, Indiana may be compounding this problem by not creating a positive environment for one of the states' few growing industries - the wind industry.
Today, 29 states have renewable electricity standards that work to create market certainty and drive clean energy investments in the renewable industries. Electricity Standards work to incentivize economic development in rural Midwestern communities through increased activity in energy construction, community taxes, operations, development and manufacturing. In 2009 Indiana built 905 MW of wind energy and today the state has 1337 MW of wind operating in state. However, the majority of Indiana's wind farms built during this period were largely built in order to provide power to neighboring states with Renewable Electricity Standards and in 2010 Indiana only added 202 MW of new wind. Without a state Renewable Electricity Standard the state of Indiana will struggle to keep existing clean energy jobs, and likely lose the opportunity for thousands of new jobs, millions in tax revenues, millions in landowner lease payments, numerous manufacturing opportunities, worker payrolls and economic development dollars during a period of record state unemployment.
In order for Indiana to be competitive and reap the benefits that wind energy can bring to the state in terms of jobs and economic development, the Indiana legislature must pass a Renewable Electricity Standard that requires 10% of the state's energy be generated from renewable energy resources located within Indiana by 2020. Ohio, Indiana's neighbor, currently has a similar Advanced Energy Standard and initial estimates indicate that Ohio will generate $400 million dollars in new wind investments in 2011 vs. $0 for Indiana in 2011.
The passage of an Indiana RES will show a commitment to clean energy job creation and rural development within the Hoosier state. Together, let's pass an Indiana RES.
Click here to join the coalition
