IN GOP House Votes To Eliminate Energy-Efficiency Program Instituted By GOP Gov. Daniels

[hatrack]

Freedumb!!!

Indiana’s flagship clean-energy program, launched by then-Gov. Mitch Daniels and hailed by environmentalists as a way to cut costs and clean the air, would be scrapped at the end of the year under a bill passed today by the House of Representatives.

The House voted 69-26 to shut down the program that requires all electricity customers to pay a monthly fee to promote energy-efficiency programs. The vote followed two days of debate over whether the program might ever be restored, or if it might die for good.

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. The measure also would prohibit the state from forcing utilities to meet efficiency goals. The program had been set up to produce energy savings of 2 percent by 2019, cut air pollution and reduce the need to build addi­tional power plants.

Environmentalists said the program saved enough energy each year to power 64,000 homes. But some critics said the program amounted to ­executive overreach, ­because the legislature never approved it or got a chance to set up any reviews. They said it costs $2 to $3 a month for the average homeowner and much more for factories and other big users.

EDIT

http://archive.indystar.com/article/20140225/NEWS/302250036/1001/NEWS

[caraher]

1. I'm really angry about this one

Just last Friday we had a canvasser drop by from Citizens' Action Coalition, and their concern then was that the bill was going to slash funding for the program by exempting industrial customers from paying their share of the program (the rationale being that the greatest savings go to residential customers, so why should our industrial customers be asked to "subsidize" those savings - never mind their already-discounted rates!). But in a week's time the teahadists have upped the stakes considerably!

The story in our local paper quoted a legislator as saying something to the effect that we could have built a new power plant for the same money that we've "wasted" on conservation programs.

I can dream that the state Senate will do the right thing here... we did just dodge a bullet over the signature cause of this legislative session (an effort to enshrine a ban on gay marriage in the state constitution) so perhaps there's hope...