Frequently Asked Questions
Why should the City-County Council pass a
resolution on the Harding Street coal-fired
power plant?
said that those investments will save ratepayers $1 billion
Indianapolis Power & Light is preparing a 20-year energy
plan for the future. According to their preliminary plans,
plan, known as an “integrated resource plan,” that must be
IPL plans no additional clean energy investments until
submitted to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission
2029 at the earliest.4 IPL plans to continue burning coal in
by Nov. 1. For the first time, IPL and other investor-owned
Marion County until at least 2034.
utilities are expected to involve community stakeholders
over the next 20 years.3 IPL’s existing investments in solar
and wind are a start, but they do not represent a 20-year
in developing such plans. IPL is expected to provide
What effects does coal pollution have on
public health?
information to stakeholders regarding its energy plan and
According to the Clean Air Task Force, pollution from the
potential acquisition of new energy resources. IPL also
must “consider and respond to all relevant input provided
by interested parties.”1 Therefore, this is a perfect time for
the Indianapolis City-County Council and other community
leaders to provide input to IPL on the kind of energy plan
they want.
Harding Street coal plant contributes to 76 premature
deaths, 120 heart attacks, and 1,300 asthma attacks
every year. Dr. Stephen Jay, a professor with the Indiana
University Department of Public Health, testified before
the General Assembly in 2006 that Indiana health care
costs from fine airborne particulates, chiefly from coal
What is IPL required to submit to the Indiana
Utility Regulatory Commission?
plants, exceed $5 billion each year. Diseases caused or
IPL is required to look at current and future energy
cardiovascular conditions and more.5
demand and methods for meeting that demand, including
exacerbated by this pollution include asthma, emphysema,
energy efficiency, existing power plants and potential new
What future regulations are expected to
affect IPL’s Harding Street power plant?
power sources. IPL’s analysis must include environmental
IPL recently received IURC approval to charge ratepayers
impacts, and how its facilities will comply with current
and expected future environmental regulations. A costbenefit analysis must be submitted to the IURC, along with
a summary of stakeholder comments received and IPL’s
response.
What have other utilities done to shift from
coal to clean energy?
Indianapolis is the last major Midwestern city with a coal-
for installing mercury and air toxic controls on the Harding
Street plant.6 Within the next 10-15 years, IPL will also be
required to reduce mercury water pollution, clean up its
coal ash ponds, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The
20-year energy plan must take these future requirements
into account as IPL determines whether to continue
burning coal at Harding Street or consider other options.
fired power plant within city limits. Chicago, Milwaukee,
Does Indianapolis have a problem with air
pollution?
Minneapolis, Omaha, and others have phased out coal-
Yes, we do. While air quality in Indianapolis has improved,
fired power plants that affect urban health. Omaha Public
Power District recently announced plans to phase out
a coal-fired power plant in North Omaha, at a cost to
ratepayers of only 0-2 percent.2 Kansas City Power &
Light has added 400 MW of wind and efficiency and has
the American Lung Association earlier this year ranked the
Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie area as having the 16th worst
ranking for soot pollution in the country.7 Marion County
has received failing grades for soot pollution every year
for the past five years. Perry, Center and Wayne townships
released more total toxic pollution in 2012 than it did in
also fail to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection
2000.13
Agency’s health-based standards for dangerous sulfur
What impacts does the power plant have on
the White River and groundwater near the
plant?
dioxide pollution, which can contribute to heart attacks,
asthma attacks and other health problems.8
Isn’t Indianapolis air quality much better in
2013 and 2014 than the 2012 statistics cited in
the resolution?
The safety and drinking water of Indianapolis families
Air quality was better in 2013 and 2014, but not because of
them with water and pouring them into unlined coal ash
any actions by IPL. Comparing poor air quality in 2012 to
ponds next to the White River. According to the Hoosier
better air quality 2013 or 2014 is like comparing apples to
Environmental Council, historic records at the Marion
oranges. The summer of 2012 involved a record drought,
County Health Department show the ponds are likely
and hot summer weather has significant impact on air
leaching pollution into the White River and groundwater
quality. The Marion County Health Department statistics
on the southside. Several coal ash ponds have been
cited in the resolution are the most recent comparisons
labeled “high hazard” by the U.S. Environmental Protection
is threatened by IPL’s irresponsible coal ash disposal.
IPL disposes of coal ash and other wastes by mixing
available, and rightfully compare Indianapolis air quality in
Agency because a failure of the dams and levees could
2012 to air quality in other similar cities in the same year.
cause loss of life and property.14
9
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data shows the
Does the City-County Council have any
authority over the Harding Street coal ash
ponds?
Harding Street plant has been in “significant violation”
Yes, the Marion County Public Health Department has
with the Clean Air Act since 2011. Additionally, IPL has
existing authority over the coal ash ponds. Surprisingly,
been in non-compliance with the Clean Water Act since
coal ash is exempt from federal hazardous waste
the beginning of 2013, according to U.S. EPA’s ECHO
disposal rules, although EPA is expected to propose a
database.10
national rule later this year. Indiana’s laws, according
Does the IPL Harding Street plant meet state
and federal environmental regulations?
How much pollution is the IPL Harding Street
plant responsible for?
Harding Street is also responsible for 85 percent of the
sulfur dioxide air pollution and 50 percent of the soot
pollution in Marion County, according to the Indiana
Department of Environmental Management.11 The Harding
Street plant also is responsible for 88 percent of the
industrial toxic emissions into Marion County’s air, land
and water, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency’s Toxic Release Inventory.12 In 2012, IPL was
responsible for releasing 1.6 million pounds of toxins into
Marion County.
Has IPL reduced pollution emissions from the
Harding Street plant?
While some air pollution has been reduced, there have
been no significant reduction in total toxic industrial
pollution from the Harding Street plant. IPL’s addition
of pollution controls has simply shifted pollution from
the air to our land and water. Some pollution is released
directly into the White River, while toxic coal ash is stored
in unlined ponds along the White River’s banks. Contrary
to IPL’s claims, IPL’s own data submitted to U.S. EPA for
the Toxic Release Inventory demonstrates that the plant
to the Hoosier Environmental Council, “are among the
weakest in the country. In Indiana, household trash is
subject to stricter oversight than is disposal of toxic
coal ash.” However, Chapter 19, Article 6 of the Health
and Hospital Corporation Code provides oversight over
waste disposal lagoons in Marion County, including
requirements for groundwater testing and reporting to the
health department. IPL should be required to meet these
groundwater testing and reporting requirements, and
the resolution calls on IPL to protect groundwater from
pollution as required by existing law.
Do cars and trucks and other sources emit
more toxic pollution in Indianapolis than the
Harding Street plant?
The Toxic Release Inventory is based on the public’s
right to know what industries are releasing into our
neighborhoods, so the public can call on industry to do
better. IPL should not be allowed to divert attention from
the fact that the Harding Street coal-fired power plant
emits 88 percent of the industrial toxic pollution in Marion
County. Nothing can change that fact except a pledge by
IPL to stop burning coal in Indianapolis. There are clean,
reliable and affordable ways to generate electricity in the
21st Century that don’t involve releasing 1.6 million pounds
IPL’s over-reliance on coal. Last year, the IURC approved
of toxins into our neighborhoods. Meanwhile, cars and
a $511 million rate increase to install new air pollution
trucks are getting cleaner and improved mass transit will
controls on IPL’s Harding Street and Petersburg plants.
reduce mobile sources of pollution. What about reducing
The Commission acknowledged a risk to ratepayers if
pollution from burning coal?
Harding Street were taken out of service due to future
Is it possible for IPL to stop burning coal at
the Harding Street plant by 2020?
environmental costs.15 Future rate increases are expected
Just about every utility that has recently announced a coal
dioxide—costs that could be avoided by shifting away from
plant retirement has achieved that goal within six years.
coal to cleaner energy solutions.
Here are some recent examples:
According to the American Wind Energy Association,
to address water pollution, coal ash pollution and carbon
• Big Sandy 2, an 800-megawatt unit in Kentucky
owned by American Electric Power, announced
retirement in 2011 and will retire in 2015.
the top 11 wind energy-producing states have seen their
• Wabash River 2-6, an 861-megawatt Indiana plant
owned by Duke Energy, which announced in 2013 that
it will retire in 2018.
prices increase by 7.79 percent during the same time.16
• Tanners Creek 4, a 580-megawatt Indiana plant owned
by American Electric Power, which announced in 2013
that it will retire in 2015.
• Whiting 1-3, a 345-megawatt Michigan plant owned by
CMS Energy, which announced in 2011 that it will retire
in 2015.
Would generating electricity using cleaner
options be more expensive for ratepayers
than continuing to burn coal at the plant?
electricity prices actually decrease during the last five
years, while all other states have seen their electricity
Iowa’s MidAmerican Energy recently announced a $1.9
billion investment in wind energy that will actually save
consumers as much as $10 million per year.17
Are the national energy efficiency rankings
within IPL’s control to improve?
The American Council on an Energy Efficient Economy
scorecard cited in the resolution includes several elements
that are in IPL’s control but that are rated poorly.18 The
report compliments Indiana’s energy efficiency program,
but IPL and other utilities worked at the General Assembly
As noted above, the costs of burning coal are found in
this year to kill the state’s mandatory energy efficiency
Indianapolis health care bills, as well as electricity bills.
goals and the Energizing Indiana program. The resolution
The IURC holds expertise and ultimate responsibility for
calls on IPL and the city to work together to improve the
making sure that Indiana ratepayers are protected and
city’s rankings and meet cost-effective energy efficiency
that rates are reasonable. As shown above, other utilities
goals. This could include, for example, more efficient street
have saved ratepayers money by shifting to clean energy
lighting that could save energy and save taxpayer money.
options. Due to recent IURC decisions, Indianapolis is
already seeing “significant” rate increases because of
endnotes
1 http://www.in.gov/iurc/2674.htm
2 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/19/nebraska-coal-plant-omaha_n_5513151.html
3 http://www.newspressnow.com/news/local_news/article_6e13ccbf-6896-508b-b7bf-db7d29357f71.html
4 http://www.iplpower.com/irp/ See IRP Public Advisory Meeting #2 Materials, page 61
5 http://www.citact.org/sites/default/files/ThePublicHealthImpactofaRESinIndiana.pdf
6 IURC decision in Cause No. 44242, August 14, 2013
7 http://www.stateoftheair.org/2014/city-rankings/most-polluted-cities.html
8 http://www.in.gov/idem/airquality/files/nonattainment_so2_map_2010.pdf
9 http://indyindicators.iupui.edu/Environment.aspx
10 EPA Enforcement and Compliance History On-line (ECHO) database, September 24, 2013. http://sc.org/IndyECHO
11 http://content.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2014/04/new-data-shows-harding-street-city-s-largest-source-dangerous-soot-sulfur
12 EPA Toxic Release Inventory, http://sc.org/IndyTRI
13 EPA Toxic Release Inventory, http://sc.org/IndyTRI
14 indianacoalash.org
15 IURC decision in Cause No. 44242
16 New evidence that wind energy reduces electric bills for consumers, American Wind Energy Association, February 12, 2014. http://sc.org/IndyWind
17 MidAmerican Energy will invest $1.9 billion in wind projects in Iowa, Des Moines Register, May 8, 2013. http://sc.org/IndyIowa
18 http://database.aceee.org/city/indianapolis-in
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