No clear path ahead for large-scale wind, solar projects
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Wildcat Wind Farm in Tipton County. (IBJ photo/Eric Learned)
Much-debated legislation to boost wind and solar farms in Indiana was thwarted during this legislative session, but a key state lawmaker said Thursday he hopes to revive the issue next year to help meet the growing need for renewable energy.
“We’ll bring back something,” vowed Rep. Ed Soliday, the bill’s author, as this year’s regular legislative session came to a close. “I don’t know whether it will look like this (bill) or what it will be.”
Wetlands deregulation bill sent to governor
CASEY SMITH | Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS – Lawmakers gave final approval Wednesday to a disputed bill seeking to remove protections from Indiana s already diminished wetlands amid mounting criticism that the legislation could cause damage to the state s waterways, wildlife and vegetation.
The bill s advance came one day after the death of a contested renewable energy bill meant to set standards for wind and solar projects.
The wetlands measure, which has sparked bipartisan opposition within the Republican-dominated Legislature, would eliminate a 2003 law that requires the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to issue permits in a state-regulated wetland and end enforcement proceedings against landowners allegedly violating current law.
The bill was withdrawn from the Senate Tuesday because lawmakers said they didn’t have the votes to pass it.
The original House bill would have created a statewide standard for siting wind and solar projects that supporters say would have made it easier to bring such projects to the state.
Lawmakers complained that even after making changes to the bill, including allowing counties to keep existing wind and solar ordinances in place, county leaders still wouldn’t come to the table to work with them.
Sen. Mark Messmer (R-Jasper) likened the negotiations to a hostage situation where the captor shoots the hostage even after getting everything they want.
Efforts to send a message that Indiana is open for business to renewables came to an abrupt stop on Tuesday night. A bill that would have established some statewide standards for wind and solar projects but was amended to grandfather in counties more restrictive ordinances died on the Senate floor.
Despite significant amendments that had House Bill 1381 doing a 180 degree turn and handing more authority back to local governments, local control concerns still lingered, according to the bill s senate sponsor Sen. Mark Messmer, R-Jasper.
On the Senate floor Tuesday night, after withdrawing the bill, Messmer said that handling the bill was akin to being in a hostage negotiation with a schizophrenic. He said he gave local officials everything they wanted and asked for, but the captor still shot the person at the end of the ordeal anyway.
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The idea was to make it easier for renewable energy companies to invest in Indiana. Right now the state is a patchwork of different local ordinances some counties have banned wind farms altogether.
When county leaders opposed the bill, it was changed so that those who had more restrictive ordinances could keep them. Lawmakers also offered counties the option to have special renewable energy districts.
One of the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Mark Messmer (R-Jasper), expressed his frustration that lawmakers still couldn’t agree on the bill before withdrawing it.
“It’s like having a hostage crisis negotiation going along. You give the captor everything they want and then they shoot the person at the end of the ordeal anyway, he said.