Reader: Indiana needs diverse energy mix for the future

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Dear Editor:

As someone who grew up in the shadow of MISO with friends throughout the energy industry, I am heartened to see that the “energy transition” has become a topic of discussion in the Hamilton County Reporter. I believe a nuanced discussion is necessary since every industry seems to have a “magic bullet,” which conveniently means only their source of energy should be used.

Indiana, however, needs a diverse energy mix to power the needs of our future.

Indiana is shutting down existing power plants too quickly, but the answer is not to hold our breath and wait for nuclear energy to save us. No large-scale nuclear plant has been built in decades and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) have recently received numerous setbacks. NuScale, which had the furthest along SMR plans, recently terminated its plans for 77 MW Power Module SMR with the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS), and other companies are struggling as well. It will, at very least, be five to 10 years before nuclear power makes a resurgence, and that is if county governments and their constituents allow nuclear plants to be built near their homes.

As our existing power plants age beyond their useful life, there are better solutions to our energy concerns other than banking on infeasible solutions that are not coming to fruition. Converting plants to clean natural gas and engaging in energy saving activities can truly help strengthen our grid.

In Jasper County, for example, the Schahfer Generating Station received a $644 million investment to convert from coal into a natural gas peaker, saving a plant that was planned to be shuttered for years. The county had previously approved a solar project, in part, to make up the portion of the tax base that would have been lost from the power plant shutting down. Instead of just shutting down the plant, the county now produces more energy than ever in a cleaner way than before. Energy investment should fit the needs of local communities while providing options to how they produce energy rather than a mandate.

Producing energy is not where this discussion should end, however. Energy savings are often the simplest way to help secure our energy grid. Much has been made about data centers’ energy consumption, but there has been very little public discussion about the energy-saving opportunities presented by data centers through thermal energy. Data centers produce significant heat as a byproduct of their operations, and entrepreneurs across Indiana are currently working to harness the power of thermal energy. Industry leaders predict gigawatts of energy burden could be taken off the grid once data centers are integrated into a circular economy that utilizes thermal energy.

Additionally, energy use reduction technology can be used at home to lower the costs on ratepayers more than any single energy source could alone. Due to natural gas cost increases associated with the war in Ukraine, Europe has been looking to address energy consumption for years. One way they found to significantly reduce use and cost is through furnace magnets, which condition fuel to burn more evenly. This significantly reduces fuel consumption and utility costs on everyone who uses it. One company, Magnatech Technology, already has many blue-chip companies such as Lilly, Pfizer, and Heinz utilizing their product, and widespread adoption of product reducing energy consumption like this could truly make a tangible impact.

As technology rapidly advances, Indiana cannot lock into a single source of energy, no matter how “clean” or “reliable.” To lead the energy future, Indiana must look to the opportunities of the present instead of clinging to industries of the past.

David Goldberg
Carmel