Braun signs nuclear energy Letter of Intent with Eli Lilly & Company

Submitted by Office of Gov. Mike Braun

On Thursday, April 16, Governor Mike Braun signed a Letter of Intent with Eli Lilly and Company to collaborate on a future pathway for nuclear energy solutions in Indiana, including small modular reactors and other advanced nuclear technologies.

A major component of Gov. Braun’s energy affordability agenda for Hoosier families is bringing new power supply to the grid, including nuclear energy. The governor’s vision is to make Indiana the premier location to invest and build new nuclear energy – because when Hoosiers produce more energy, prices for Hoosier households come down.

“Indiana is leading on nuclear power, because more energy means lower energy prices for Hoosier families,” Gov. Braun said. “Today, I’m proud to enter into this partnership with Lilly to explore how we can collaborate on making Indiana the nation’s nuclear energy leader.”

“For 150 years, Lilly has grown alongside Indiana,” Lilly Chair and CEO Dave Ricks said. “Advanced nuclear technology represents the kind of bold, clean energy solution our state needs to power the next generation of innovation, and it directly supports Lilly’s own commitment to reduce our environmental footprint. We’re proud to partner with the state to help make it a reality.”

The purpose of the Letter of Intent between Lilly and the State of Indiana is to establish a framework for collaboration to:

• Explore and evaluate the technical, economic, regulatory, and environmental feasibility of nuclear energy solutions in Indiana.
• Consider potential structures for future procurement and deployment, including potential public private approaches, ownership and operating concepts, and power purchase arrangements.
• Support long-term energy reliability, resilience, economic development, industrial growth, workforce development, and emissions reduction goals in Indiana.