The Environmental Protection Agency’s plans to regulate carbon emissions from power plants aren’t good for Indiana’s economy. At least, that’s how the Indiana Chamber of Commerce feels.
“It’s concerning to us,” said Kevin Brinegar, president and CEO of the chamber. “It’s taking away one of our advantages, and it could become a disadvantage the way it’s going.”
On Tuesday, Brinegar came to the Bloomington-Monroe County Convention Center for the Chamber’s Connect & Collaborate Luncheon. Part of the chamber’s member outreach efforts, the luncheon was a chance for Brinegar to talk about reducing health care costs by promoting wellness; legislative news; and the economic organization’s Indiana Vision 2025 plan. After the luncheon, he and Brock Hesler, director of membership, spoke with The Herald-Times’ editorial board.
Indiana Vision 2025 is the chamber’s plan for Hoosier prosperity. One of the plan’s four pillars is superior infrastructure, and Brinegar believes the EPA’s proposal to regulate carbon emissions threatens an area where the state has had a longtime economic advantage: low electricity prices.
Information provided by the chamber shows Indiana falling from being one of the top 15 states for cheap electricity in 2005 to 27th today. The chamber blames federal regulations as the reason for the increasing prices and doesn’t believe the benefit of the new regulations will outweigh the cost.
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