logo
Indiana Secretary speaks on energy

Indiana Secretary speaks on energy

Yahoo06-06-2025
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Governor Mike Braun has recently appointed Suzanne Jaworowski as Secretary of Energy and Natural Resources.
She said Hoosiers should be excited, not worried about the future.
Jaworowski ran President Trump's 2016 campaign for Indiana and has served as Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy and the International Atomic Energy Agency in Austria.
She said Governor Braun is currently focused on a reliable energy grid and affordability for Hoosiers, while keeping the state's natural resources healthy.
However, she said this is a unique time with the demand for energy across the state.
'Right now, we are at an unprecedented, historic time for energy demand', Jaworowski said. 'Our energy needs are surging because of AI data centers, steel manufacturing, reshoring of manufacturing and industry, but also just our everyday electrification. Think about all of the things we plug in every single day and it's driving our need for electricity far more than we've ever had in our lifetime.'
Jaworowski said that one of the governor's goals is to deploy nuclear energy in the state. She said it is the right time for everyone involved.
'Nuclear is large scale, always available, carbon free, clean electricity that will last for 80 to 100 years to come', Jaworowski said. 'It's extremely important for the state of Indiana to be able to deploy that energy source while we need it right now, while the federal government is helping to support the development of it and industry is ready to partner with us to help pay for it, which makes it much more affordable for Hoosiers.'
Jaworowski also said Governor Braun has developed an executive order to do a state-wide water inventory and management plan.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Indiana and Texas Democrats are teaming up to block early redistricting. Will it work?
Indiana and Texas Democrats are teaming up to block early redistricting. Will it work?

Indianapolis Star

time2 hours ago

  • Indianapolis Star

Indiana and Texas Democrats are teaming up to block early redistricting. Will it work?

Democrats in the Indiana General Assembly are teaming up with Texas House Democrats in an attempt to block mid-decade redistricting efforts brewing in their states. Indiana Democrats don't have much power here in the legislature should Republicans pursue redistricting, but they showed their support for Texas Democrats in a joint press conference on Aug. 13 in Chicago, where Texas Democrats have fled the state to. Among the speakers were Rep. Ed Delaney, D-Indianapolis, Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago and Rep. Cherrish Pryor, D-Indianapolis, who called the efforts "unprecedented and morally corrupt." Legislators from both states also described the mid-cycle redistricting pushed by the White House as unwanted involvement from national leaders, with Texas Rep. Gene Wu characterizing the opposition effort as "stopping the D.C. swamp from dictating who we get to vote for." 'No Hoosier voters are asking for this," Delaney said in a press release. "This is D.C. politics invading our state.' Those comments follow Vice President JD Vance's meeting with Indiana Gov. Mike Braun and legislative leaders Sen. Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, and Rep. Todd Huston, R-Fishers, in Indianapolis, where the group discussed redistricting. If Hoosier leaders agree to redraw lines, Braun will have to call a special session, though it may be difficult to muster the political will for it. Several Republican legislators including Rep. Danny Lopez, R-Carmel, and Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, have publicly said they oppose the early redistricting. At the press conference Delaney also pointed to former Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma, who told Indiana Capital Chronicle that redistricting before the census was "bad form," but that legislative leaders are likely feeling pressure because other states, like Texas, have supported the move. Braun agreed that what happens in Texas will likely play into Indiana's decision-making. More: If Trump's redistricting war comes to Indiana, Indiana Democrats will have few weapons Texas' special session is set to come to a close at the end of this week, likely without much movement on redistricting because they cannot make quorum in the House as long as Democrats who fled the state stay in Illinois. But Texas Republicans have promised to continue calling special sessions until enough Democrats relent. If success in the Lone Star State tips the scales in Indiana, Democratic legislators here will not have the same options to fight back as their Texas peers. That's because Indiana has a Republican supermajority, which allows the party to achieve quorum even without a single Democrat.

The EPA wants to roll back climate regulations. Here's how Hoosiers can have a say
The EPA wants to roll back climate regulations. Here's how Hoosiers can have a say

Yahoo

time9 hours ago

  • Yahoo

The EPA wants to roll back climate regulations. Here's how Hoosiers can have a say

Hoosiers have limited time to voice their opinions as the U.S. EPA prepares to roll back rules meant to curb the effects of greenhouse gas emissions. The announcement in Indianapolis last month to rescind a major climate rule was one of the Trump administration's many pushes to deregulate major greenhouse gas polluters — in this case, the transportation industry. And with a rich history of auto manufacturing, Indiana stands to benefit, according to a statement made by U.S. Rep. Jim Baird during the announcement. Meanwhile, Americans will become more vulnerable, said Shannon Anderson, the director of advocacy at Earth Charter Indiana. While greenhouse gas emissions are not directly toxic to human health, they are the driver behind human-caused climate change, which is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of natural disasters across the globe. 'People sometimes feel like climate change is a problem that's coming later, but we're starting to experience it now,' Anderson said. She pointed to extreme heat events and increased flooding across the continent. Sam Carpenter, the executive director of the Hoosier Environmental Council, warned denial of climate science is bad for individual Hoosiers, communities, and the economy. The EPA has regulated greenhouse gases for over 15 years, but now the agency wants to quash a 2009 ruling that anchors its ability to fight climate change. The agency will no longer regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants or oil and gas operations. And all greenhouse gas standards for new motor vehicles and motor vehicle engines will be repealed, according to the EPA. Before the ruling is finalized, the public has until Sept. 15, 2025, to submit comments on the proposal. Indiana's role in greenhouse gas emissions Indiana's greenhouse gas emissions — which come from compounds like carbon and methane — are hefty compared to similar states. Indiana releases the most energy-related greenhouse gases per capita in the Midwest and eighth in the nation, according to the HEC. About 21 percent of Indiana's total emissions come from the state's transportation sector. But as a desire to mitigate climate change impacted consumer choice and federal policy, like the Inflation Reduction Act, Indiana became a leader in electric vehicle manufacturing. Related industries now employ over 240,000 Hoosiers. The repeal of greenhouse gas emission standards could reduce the incentives helping Indiana pursue electric vehicles and battery manufacturing. 'We were starting to get a foothold in the U.S. under the Inflation Reduction Act, and Indiana has benefited mightily from those investments,' said Carpenter of HEC, nodding to the state's push toward clean energy. 'That's all being kind of pushed away through the current stance of denial on climate change. And so, it really has impacts on our health, on our communities, and in our economy.' How to get a word in Despite the agency's new stance on regulating greenhouse gases, 74 percent of Americans think that carbon dioxide should be regulated as a pollutant, according to the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Anderson thinks the EPA will soon have to face the masses during the required public comment period, where the agency must consider input before the ruling is finalized. 'We know there are so many Americans who stand with us on this issue, and it won't even take all of them to speak out on this, but as many as possible that are willing to just take a minute to write a public comment, to send a message to their legislators, that can be tremendously powerful,' Anderson said. The EPA is "going to have to acknowledge that they are flying in the face of overwhelming public consensus.' The public can submit written comments to the EPA through an online portal, email or by mail. Earth Charter Indiana also created a toolkit to help Hoosiers find out how to comment and contact their elected officials. Comments are due Sept. 15, 2025. IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Sophie Hartley is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach her at or on X at @sophienhartley. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: The EPA is rescinding climate regulations. Here's what that means for you Solve the daily Crossword

The EPA wants to rollback climate regulations. Here's how Hoosiers can have a say.
The EPA wants to rollback climate regulations. Here's how Hoosiers can have a say.

Indianapolis Star

time10 hours ago

  • Indianapolis Star

The EPA wants to rollback climate regulations. Here's how Hoosiers can have a say.

Hoosiers have limited time to voice their opinions as the U.S. EPA prepares to roll back rules meant to curb the effects of greenhouse gas emissions. The announcement in Indianapolis last month to rescind a major climate rule was one of the Trump administration's many pushes to deregulate major greenhouse gas polluters — in this case, the transportation industry. And with a rich history of auto manufacturing, Indiana stands to benefit, according to a statement made by U.S. Rep. Jim Baird during the announcement. Meanwhile, Americans will become more vulnerable, said Shannon Anderson, the director of advocacy at Earth Charter Indiana. While greenhouse gas emissions are not directly toxic to human health, they are the driver behind human-caused climate change, which is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of natural disasters across the globe. 'People sometimes feel like climate change is a problem that's coming later, but we're starting to experience it now,' Anderson said. She pointed to extreme heat events and increased flooding across the continent. Sam Carpenter, the executive director of the Hoosier Environmental Council, warned denial of climate science is bad for individual Hoosiers, communities, and the economy. The EPA has regulated greenhouse gases for over 15 years, but now the agency wants to quash a 2009 ruling that anchors its ability to fight climate change. The agency will no longer regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants or oil and gas operations. And all greenhouse gas standards for new motor vehicles and motor vehicle engines will be repealed, according to the EPA. Before the ruling is finalized, the public has until Sept. 15, 2025, to submit comments on the proposal. Indiana's greenhouse gas emissions — which come from compounds like carbon and methane — are hefty compared to similar states. Indiana releases the most energy-related greenhouse gases per capita in the Midwest and eighth in the nation, according to the HEC. About 21 percent of Indiana's total emissions come from the state's transportation sector. But as a desire to mitigate climate change impacted consumer choice and federal policy, like the Inflation Reduction Act, Indiana became a leader in electric vehicle manufacturing. Related industries now employ over 240,000 Hoosiers. The repeal of greenhouse gas emission standards could reduce the incentives helping Indiana pursue electric vehicles and battery manufacturing. 'We were starting to get a foothold in the U.S. under the Inflation Reduction Act, and Indiana has benefited mightily from those investments,' said Carpenter of HEC, nodding to the state's push toward clean energy. 'That's all being kind of pushed away through the current stance of denial on climate change. And so, it really has impacts on our health, on our communities, and in our economy.' Despite the agency's new stance on regulating greenhouse gases, 74 percent of Americans think that carbon dioxide should be regulated as a pollutant, according to the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Anderson thinks the EPA will soon have to face the masses during the required public comment period, where the agency must consider input before the ruling is finalized. 'We know there are so many Americans who stand with us on this issue, and it won't even take all of them to speak out on this, but as many as possible that are willing to just take a minute to write a public comment, to send a message to their legislators, that can be tremendously powerful,' Anderson said. The EPA is "going to have to acknowledge that they are flying in the face of overwhelming public consensus.' The public can submit written comments to the EPA through an online portal, email or by mail. Earth Charter Indiana also created a toolkit to help Hoosiers find out how to comment and contact their elected officials. Comments are due Sept. 15, 2025. IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store