Gov. Mike Braun has established a Strategic Energy Growth Task Force to address Indiana's accelerating demand for reliable, affordable energy.
The Republican chief executive said Wednesday it's essential the state's economic growth and new job opportunities for Hoosiers in manufacturing and data centers aren't held back by a lack of energy generation and transmission infrastructure.
"My new Strategic Energy Growth Task Force will take an all-of-the-above approach to meet the electricity demands of our growing economy in the short-run, and plan for Indiana to become an energy export state and national leader in nuclear energy for the long-run — all with a focus on reliability and affordability for Hoosiers," Braun said.
The seven-member panel, composed mostly of Braun cabinet members and state agency heads, is authorized to draw on the expertise of other executive or legislative branch officials as it works toward crafting an initial report to the governor by Dec. 31, and its final State Energy Growth Plan, featuring both 5- and 20-year outlooks, by May 29, 2026.
Braun's executive order makes clear the task force is expected to focus on nuclear energy development — despite its astronomical cost compared to other energy sources and the fact that small modular nuclear reactors currently aren't commercially viable or available.
The task force is also charged with analyzing the factors driving Indiana's electricity prices ever higher and proposing actionable solutions to ensure future energy costs are affordable for Hoosiers.
"The unprecedented increase in electricity demand presents a unique opportunity to advance the state of Indiana's leadership in energy innovation and reliability," Braun said. "Expanding energy generation and transmission infrastructure is critical to sustaining the state of Indiana's vibrant economy and accommodating future growth opportunities."
Braun insisted his task force will be different than, and build on, the four years of work completed in 2022 by Indiana's 21st Century Energy Policy Development Task Force, co-led by state Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso.
That panel established five pillars to guide Indiana's energy policies — reliability, resilience, stability, affordability and environmental sustainability — and recommended state leaders and utility companies opt for a mix of energy sources to ensure reliability and affordability.
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