Community Solar Needs Hearing at Statehouse

Indiana State Senator Linda Rogers responded to my request (below) that we meet after she views a webinar about the nuts and bolts of Community Solar enabling legislation. Legislative Assistant Collin Brown writes:

Thank you again for reaching back out to our office. Senator Rogers was happy to hear from you regarding this issue. She did receive your email and has reviewed the material, and she wanted to thank you for sharing that information.

We are currently finalizing legislation regarding this issue, so there will be action of some form taken in the 2025 legislative session. Senator Rogers said that she would be happy to set up another meeting with you after the first of the year to address any of your questions or concerns.

In the meantime, please let me know if there's anything else we can do, and I look forward to connecting with you again in the coming weeks!

Letter to Indiana State Senator Linda Rogers, sent Dec. 11, 2024:

Dear Senator Rogers,

I write to request a meeting with you to address your previous questions about Community Solar legislation. The 2025 legislative session should be a big year for energy policy in the Indiana Statehouse with the insatiable demand for more electricity to power data centers. Without energy, they won’t come.

When we last met, you asked about the nuts and bolts of community solar legislation, including what other states have done. Here is a well-presented webinar that clearly answers your questions about existing and future enabling legislation: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/UjYU1dMDNiEOCB5UyTL3kanboEd9Jr4CXmyPdDqilNcM_jPbmt-lR8_7tZjz9xep.jhYyBAB8Cl5bFwjf. Presenters include Faith in Place, Solar United Neighbors, and the Indiana Conservative Alliance for Energy.

Even the utility companies tout the value of diversifying the state’s energy portfolio, which community solar delivers. Promotional material (see item #3) I received from Indiana Michigan Power explicitly states,

"Renewable energy sources are not only reliable and cheaper, but they also strengthen the electric grid. Getting electricity from wind, solar and other renewable energy sources makes the grid more secure and resistant to service disruptions. Plus, batteries can store extra power until needed, making renewables an even more resilient option."

Please support Community Solar legislation in the next General Assembly session. Solar energy is efficient, necessary, and less expensive for all Hoosiers, and such energy diversity makes the grid secure and resilient.

I look forward to meeting with you to follow up on the webinar’s content that you requested. Please propose a Granger site and time and I’ll confirm.

Thank you for your consideration,