Melissa Williams, melissa.williams@sierraclub.org
INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Power & Light (IPL) today released its plan for how the utility will generate electricity for its more than 470,000 customers over the next two decades with a proposal to retire two units at the Petersburg Super Polluter coal plant.
IPL’s new Integrated Resource Plan calls for retirement of Unit 1 in 2021 and Unit 2 in 2023.
The remaining two Petersburg units, well known as one of the nation’s dirtiest industrial facilities, would continue to burn coal until at least 2042. Meanwhile, IPL still hasn’t committed to safely closing the leaking toxic coal ash ponds outside its plants, nor made any significant steps to invest in safe, clean renewable resources that would protect people and the environment, and also be cheaper for customers.
Sierra Club and its community supporters and volunteers have urged IPL to implement a plan to retire all of Petersburg no later than 2028. The City of Beech Grove passed a resolution calling on IPL to retire Petersburg by 2028 and replace the power with renewable energy, and the majority of the Indianapolis City-County Council agree that keeping this outdated, polluting coal plant running threatens the city’s climate goals, as set in Thrive Plan for Indianapolis to be powered by 100 percent renewable energy by 2050.
In a letter to IPL President Vincent Parisi, 15 city-county council members have called for IPL to go coal-free by 2028, and added that, “IPL should replace that coal power with renewable energy, energy efficiency and storage—not more fossil fuels.”
Currently, 95 percent of the power Indianapolis receives from IPL is from fossil fuels.
In response to IPL’s plan release, Wendy Bredhold, senior campaign representative for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign in Indiana, released the following statement:
“It’s good that IPL is moving to get rid of two units at this outdated, massive Super Polluter, but we can’t tiptoe our way out of the climate crisis. Southwest Indiana’s families and children living with health impacts from the Petersburg plant need bold plans to move rapidly away from dangerous fossil fuels that are poisoning our air and water and threatening our health.
“Sierra Club and our allies will continue to push for the clean energy that Indianapolis residents demand and deserve, which must include a plan to fully retire Petersburg by 2028 and clean up its widespread toxic pollution. Anything less is a failure for our climate and our communities.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.