Clean energy a bright path to the future Hoosiers

Hoosiers want affordable, reliable and clean energy. Continuing to burn coal does not meet any of these criteria.

Former Indiana State Senator Jon Ford, now working for Reliable Energy Inc., recently published an editorial on the need for more coal investments to meet the growing demand for electricity from data centers (“Coal Vital As Indiana Tackles the Future,” 25 April).

What he didn’t say was that the Googles, Microsofts and Amazons around the world that build these data centers also demand that they be powered by clean energy sources.

None of them want data centers to run on coal.

In the 2005 Mass v. EPA decision, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that the federal Environmental Protection Agency must control greenhouse gas emissions as a harmful pollutant under the Clean Air Act.

With this support, the EPA issued new regulations for fossil fuel power plants.

Coal plants that are not on track to close, as Ford advocates, would have to capture and sequester 90% of their greenhouse gas emissions.

Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the former state senator championed carbon sequestration during his term.

In addition to carbon sequestration, coal-fired power plants must meet additional requirements from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the classification of coal ash storage tanks. Indiana has more coal ash landfills connected to groundwater than any other state in the country.

Both of these important EPA measures are critical to reducing coal’s dirtiest and most toxic impacts on our health and communities.

Burning coal produces air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury and particulate matter, which cause health problems such as respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases and neurological disorders. The end product of burning coal leaves toxic ash full of arsenic and heavy metals that can poison our groundwater.

The negative health impacts of coal disproportionately burden rural, low-income, and minority communities due to their proximity to coal mining and combustion sites.

The Hoosier Environmental Council applauds the EPA for protecting hosiery products from dirty coal, and we warn that continuing to invest in coal will not only impact Hoosier health, but will also negatively impact our wallets as utilities pass on the increased costs of burning coal.

Extremely low temperatures can cause coal piles to freeze, limiting their availability. Low temperatures can also affect the combustion process, making it difficult to burn coal efficiently and leading to limitations in water abstraction systems needed to generate energy from coal.

These elements point to the limits of coal’s reliability when it comes to keeping the lights on for Hoosiers.

Indiana must make a choice. Are we urging our utilities and regulators to transition away from coal, the dirtiest and one of the most expensive forms of energy? Or do we invest in a clean environment that attracts business growth while supplying our state with affordable, clean renewable energy?

Yes, it is true that our energy needs are increasing. However, utilities have affordable, clean and reliable options to meet and manage growing demand.

Supporting the coal industry, which is precisely what Reliable Energy Inc. relies on, is the worst possible option for everyday Hoosiers and our state’s economy.

Sam Carpenteron the left is the executive director and David Van Gilder is senior director of policy and law at the Hoosier Environmental Council.