Governor Daniels Provides Update on State Strategic Energy Plan

EVANSVILLE, IN - With 23 new bioenergy and clean coal plants announced or operating in Indiana, representing more than $6 billion in new capital investment, Governor Mitch Daniels said the state is making significant progress one year after the launch of the state’s strategic energy plan.

“We’ve seen an explosion of investment in innovative energy projects across the state,” said Daniels. “This translates into hundreds of new, high quality, high paying jobs in some of the more rural parts of our state that have been forgotten for so long.”

Daniels provided an update on the progress of Hoosier Homegrown Energy, the state’s strategic energy plan, during an address at the Energy Summit for Southwest Indiana.  Among the successes, the governor discussed the development of two multi-billion dollar clean coal projects to be located in southwest Indiana.

A 630 megawatt integrated gasification combined cycle electric plant in Edwardsport will be the first new baseload plant to be built in Indiana in 20 years, and the first to use clean coal technology.  A second clean coal plant will produce pipeline quality natural gas from Indiana coal and will supply more than 20 percent of future residential and commercial gas demand in the state. This facility will be located at one of two sites in southwest Indiana along the Ohio River.

“We’ll use Indiana coal, a homegrown resource, in a cleaner, state-of-the-art facility,” said the governor.  “Clean coal technology has the potential to unlock the true value of this abundant Indiana resource and help satisfy Indiana’s future energy needs.”

In a recent National Conference of State Legislatures publication, Indiana was recognized as having “the most comprehensive, aggressive and diversified portfolio of [clean coal] financial incentives.”

With at least 10 bioenergy plants operating or being constructed, Indiana is capitalizing on other state resources, such as corn and soybeans.  Just last week, the grand opening was held in Claypool for the world’s largest soybean-based biodiesel plant. Indiana also has increased the availability of biofuels consumers and is third in the nation in E85 Ethanol pumps, behind Illinois and Minnesota.  A state sponsored program has helped make available 94 E85 pumps and 11 B20 biodiesel pumps to Hoosier drivers.

Indiana continues to move along a path to meet the goals set forth in the strategic plan, to trade current energy imports for future Indiana economic growth, produce electricity, natural gas and transportation fuels from clean coal and bioenergy and improve energy efficiency and infrastructure.

Technorati Tags: News Governor Mitch Daniels Hoosier Homegrown Energy Mitch Daniels Politics