Ricky Junquera, Ricky.Junquera@sierraclub.org, (617) 599-7048
Wendy Bredhold, Wendy.Bredhold@sierraclub.org , (812) 604-1723
Plainfield, IN - Today, Duke Energy Indiana announced its preferred 20-year energy plan, which is a climate and customer disaster. Duke’s proposed portfolio relies heavily on new fracked gas power plants and continued reliance for decades on one of the largest coal-burning fleets in the country. Compared to other Indiana utilities that have embraced the clean energy transition, Duke is proposing small amounts of solar and wind, very little efficiency, and no energy storage. Sierra Club calls on Duke to reconsider this plan and propose an actual transition to clean energy.
Duke’s proposal, while retaining the bulk coal fleet for decades, retires one unit at the Gibson Station coal-burning plant in Gibson County, in 2026 and the Cayuga Station coal plant in Vermillion County, in 2028. To replace these coal plants, Duke currently intends to build two enormous combined cycle fracked gas plants in 2028 and 2034 and very little clean renewable energy.
In response, Wendy Bredhold, senior campaign representative for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign in Indiana, said:
“Duke Energy Indiana’s 20-year plan is costly and dangerous, and fails to respond to the climate crisis or customer desire for clean energy. Duke intends to rely heavily on dirty coal and build a huge gas plant in the next decade, while failing to take advantage of current tax incentives for wind and solar. Sierra Club is glad to see some modest coal retirements in this plan, but Duke is still burning too much coal for too long, and those gas plants should never be built.
“It’s as if Duke Energy Indiana lives on another planet - but here on Earth, climate change is impacting our communities, Northwest Indiana utility NIPSCO is replacing all of its coal generation with renewable energy, energy efficiency and storage, and in Southwest Indiana, Vectren’s gas plant was rejected by state regulators because it was too risky for customers. As Indiana’s largest electric utility, Duke should be leading the transition away from fossil fuels to clean energy, not lagging behind.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.