ANOTHER VIEWPOINT: Hoosiers could pay the price for coal bill

<p>For all the well-deserved criticism directed at House Bill 1414, which could delay coal plant closings in Indiana, the legislation has managed to unite a diverse coalition of Hoosiers in opposition.</p><p>The controversial measure, which comes as utility providers in the state have announced plans to shift away from coal-burning power, could end up raising rates for customers. Last week, HB 1414 passed out of the House, 52 to 41, and moved to the Senate.</p><p>This disingenuous effort — the word “coal” does not appear in bill’s language, though it’s clear the legislation specifically targets coal-burning plants — is a denial of and roadblock to the future. Little wonder that critics call it the “coal bailout bill.”</p><p>Coal mines in Indiana have closed at a rapid pace in the last several years. In 2010, the state had 26 active coal-burning power units. By 2016, it had just 13.</p><p>Bill sponsor Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso, claims the bill is needed to make the state more thoughtful about the implications of closing its coal-fired power plants.</p><p>In fact, as pointed out by state Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington, there’s already a process in place, with federal and regional oversight, to ensure that such transitions are handled in a responsible manner.</p><p>Democratic lawmakers say that the bill would prop up the coal industry and raise Hoosiers’ electric bills by making ratepayers continue to pay for inefficient coal plants.</p><p>Supporters of the bill defend it as a stopgap measure to help the state as it moves toward cleaner energy sources.</p><p>Among those aligned in opposition to HB 1414 are environmentalists and conservatives, who perceive it as heavy-handed favoritism. The list of opponents includes the state’s five investor-owned utilities; the Indiana Chamber of Commerce; the Indiana Conservative Alliance for Energy; the National Taxpayers Union; the Indiana State Conference of the NAACP; Citizens Action Coalition; the Hoosier Environmental Council; and Sierra Club.</p><p>The only group to speak up in support of the bill during hearings of the House utilities committee? The Indiana Coal Council.</p><p>Soliday noted during his comments on the floor that the state “is in a transition, and all we’re asking is to be able to manage it.”</p><p>But HB 1414, in ignoring the future of energy and making Hoosiers pay the price, is pure mismanagement.</p>