INDIANAPOLIS – One Indiana utility company earned top marks and another pair nabbed no points in a national clean energy assessment. The six Hoosier utilities featured averaged 44% — a “C” grade.
The Sierra Club, a California-based environmental advocacy group, annually examines 50 parent companies owning half the country’s fossil fuel generation.
“‘The Dirty Truth’ report is a snapshot in time. It’s looking at what is being planned over the next 10 years by these utility companies,” said Robyn Skuya-Boss, director of the Hoosier Chapter of the Sierra Club. They hope the report will push change among utilities, and specifically for low-scorer Duke Energy Indiana.
“We want to see Duke do better, and we want to see Duke show us and customers who want clean, affordable, and reliable energy that they are taking those concerns seriously and … moving forward with those plans over the next five years,” Skuya-Boss said.
The study metrics are based on goals set by President Joe Biden. He wants the country to get 80% of its energy from emissions-free sources by 2030 and 100% by 2035.
The organization evaluated utilities’ renewable energy transition plans based on their commitments to retire coal-powered generation by 2030, build no new natural gas plants through 2035, and add enough renewable energy to replace their fossil fuel generation by 2035.
The 75 operating subsidiaries have committed to retiring just 30% of their coal generation and plan to build 93 gigawatts of natural gas, according to the report. They’re set to build enough renewable sources to replace 52% of their fossil fuel generation.
Two Indiana utilities had no climate goals and scored zero points.
The Sierra Club gave Duke Energy Indiana its worst score since the report launched in 2021. The utility serves much of the state. Duke earned 13% in 2021, 27% in 2022, and 26% in 2023 — but nothing this year.
Read the rest of the Leslie Bonilla Muñiz story for the Indiana Capital Chronicle, here.
