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Trump executive order vows substantial cuts to federal workforce; KY counties make decisions on how to spend opioid settlement payments; Programs in rural NC, other states provides cost-efficient energy upgrades; Grant helps tribes, nonprofits plan to expand range of sea otters.

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A court weighs the right of New York City noncitizens to vote in local elections, Vice President Vance suggests courts can't overrule a president, and states increasingly challenge the validity of student IDs at the ballot box.

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Rural America struggles with opioids and homelessness in unexpected ways, Colorado's Lariat Ditch could help spur local recreation and book deliveries revive rural communities hit by Hurricane Helene.

Indiana debates nuclear energy for power grid

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Friday, January 24, 2025   

Indiana lawmakers are advancing a plan to bring nuclear energy to the state.

House Bill 1007 would establish a framework for investing in advanced nuclear technology.

Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso, chair of the House Utilities, Energy, and Telecommunications Committee, authored the bill after state energy officials warned of power shortage risks without new energy sources.

"If we are going to be telling the world we're going to onshore a lot of things that have been taken offshore, we've got to provide for it," Soliday contended. "We have to provide the infrastructure, and this is happening rapidly."

Critics cautioned the bill could raise electric bills for residents. Building nuclear reactors is costly, with estimates ranging from $2 billion to $3 billion per reactor. The bill failed to pass out of committee, but is set for a vote next week. It would allow utility companies to recover development costs through rate increases.

Under the proposal, utilities would need to justify development costs to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission before passing them on to customers.

Indiana Secretary of Energy and Natural Resources Suzanne Jaworoski said the bill is the foundation to bring much needed energy generation to the state.

"It attracts advanced nuclear energy which is the future of energy," Jaworoski asserted. "It is sustainable. It is affordable. It is reliable. It is resilient. It is environmentally sound."

Lawmakers are debating whether the long-term benefits of nuclear energy outweigh the financial burden it may place on Hoosiers. For now, the debate over Indiana's energy future continues.


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