CEAC-2019-10-October

NEWS
Indiana Sees Surge in Wind Power
Despite Lack of Standards
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana has experienced
a surge in wind farm construction
during the past decade that’s given the
state the nation’s 12th-highest number of
wind turbines.
But some renewable energy advocates say
Indiana risks being outpaced by other states
unless it does more to encourage commercial
wind power, the Indianapolis Business
Journal reported.
Since 2008, developers have installed more
than 1,000 wind turbines across Indiana, primarily
on 16 large wind farms that produce
2,317 megawatts of electricity — enough to
power more than 1 million homes.
Another 1,130 megawatts of new wind
capacity are under construction or in advanced
development across the state, from
modest projects to major wind farms.
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Indiana’s commitment to wind energy places it at 12th in the nation for
number of wind turbines, but some fear that the absence of a renewable-energy
standard and a lack of emphasis on commercial wind power
could cause the state to lag behind.
companies, said Kerwin Olson, executive director of Citizens
Action Coalition of Indiana.
“It’s time for Indiana to step it up and put policies in place
which encourage the development of renewable-energy
projects, or we will continue to lose big to states like Iowa
and Texas, which recognize the enormous economic benefits
that wind can provide,” he said.
A decade ago, Indiana had almost no commercial wind
power beyond a few small windmills that pumped water on
farms. But the wind industry has boomed since then, driven
largely by falling costs and rising demand by large customers
and utilities for renewable energy.
Indiana ranks 12th among states for wind power, owing
in part to its flat terrain that leads to higher wind speeds,
especially across northern Indiana, according to the American
Wind Energy Association.
Wind power accounts for 5 percent of Indiana’s electricity,
while coal generates 70 percent of Indiana’s power.
Coal power generation has fallen as utilities replace
coal-burning power plants with cleaner or cheaper energy
sources, such as natural gas, solar and wind, but Indiana is
still the nation’s second-largest state in coal consumption.
Some of Indiana’s biggest advocates of wind power are
electric utilities. Last year, Northern Indiana Public Service
Co. said it would retire four of its five remaining coal-fired
electric burning units within five years and the other within
a decade. The Merrillville-based utility plans to generate 65
percent of its power from wind, solar and other renewables
by 2028.
That’s caught the eye of the American
Wind Energy Association, which represents
wind-power project developers and equipment
suppliers. The Washington, D.C.-based
trade association said in August that it
would host its 2021 CleanPower conference
and trade show in Indianapolis, based on
the “immense potential Indiana has to be
among the leading states for wind energy.”
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But a growing number of Indiana communities have restricted
wind farms, saying they are too large and intrusive.
In May, northwestern Indiana’s Tippecanoe County banned
wind turbines taller than 140 feet (42 meters) — in effect
rejecting commercial turbines that often tower 300 feet (91
meters) to 600 feet (282 meters) high, after some residents
complained about potential harm to property values.
But renewable energy advocate say Indiana
needs clear, uniform rules on locating wind
farms to attract more investments.
Indiana also has no renewable-energy standard.
Such standards already in place in 29
other states require that a certain percentage
of the electricity that utilities sell comes
from renewable resources.
Indiana’s lack of a renewable-energy standard
shows that the state “could be a little
bit more progressive” in encouraging the
development of clean energy sources, said
Ben Inskeep, senior energy policy analyst in
Indianapolis with EQ Research, a North Carolina-based
clean-energy consulting firm.
Adopting a standard would create a
guaranteed market for renewable-energy
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34 | Chief Engineer
Volume 84 · Number 10 | 35