Renewable Energy
Hoosier Energy adopted a Renewable Energy Policy in 2006, establishing a goal of producing two percent of annual load generation from renewable energy by 2011. Although the U.S. and Indiana have no laws requiring utilities to have renewable energy programs, the generation and transmission co-op has committed to increasing its renewable energy portfolio by five percent of annual growth in subsequent years.
In preparation for meeting these goals, the co-op has five renewable energy pilot programs to evaluate the feasibility of small-scale wind and solar energy generation. In the fall of 2007, Hoosier Energy opened a 2-MW landfill methane generation plant (LMG) and the co-op is evaluating other LMG sites. Hoosier Energy is a charter member of a National Renewables Cooperative, which will look for opportunities for co-ops to work together on renewable energy projects. In November of 2008, Hoosier Energy added 25 megawatts of wind power to its renewable energy portfolio. The power supplier reached a 10-year agreement to purchase a portion of the output from a wind generation project in Story County, Iowa. Hoosier Energy makes green energy available to member co-ops through its EnviroWatts® program.
Hoosier Energy encourages power development from resources that naturally replenish, utilization of residual materials, or recycled waste or similar materials. Viable sources may include: hydro, landfill methane, coal-bed methane, geothermal generation, digesters, wind, solar, biomass, wood, waste-heat recovery units, and heat recovery technologies (including geothermal and air source heat pumps).
The objectives of Hoosier Energy’s Renewable Energy Policy are:
- Create diversity of power supply resources.
- Provide member co-ops with renewable energy to support consumer programs.
- Strengthen and reinforce Hoosier Energy’s environmental stewardship initiatives.
- Improve economies of rural communities in central and southern Indiana.
The Indiana Office of Energy and Defense Development has worked with Hoosier Energy on several renewable energy initiatives. The power supply cooperative received state Alternative Power and Energy Grants for use on the Clark-Floyd LMG project as well as the renewable energy pilot program.