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Advocates brief Indianapolis committee on state energy bills and a new 1% data-center electricity tax
Summary
Presenters from Indiana Conservation Voters and Citizens Action Coalition told the city's Environment & Sustainability Committee about recent state legislation including an energy affordability bill and a provision in House Enrolled Act 1210 that creates a 1% county-level tax on electricity used by new data centers after July 1, 2026; residents urged urgency on local zoning and oversight.
Delaney Barraquan, government affairs director at Indiana Conservation Voters, and the executive director of Citizens Action Coalition told the Indianapolis Environment & Sustainability Committee that the recent General Assembly session produced several measures with direct impacts on utility customers and local planning. They highlighted House Bill 1002'an energy-affordability package with summer shutoff protections and a requirement that utilities offer low-income programs'and described how data-center language was moved into other bills.
Barraquan said HB 1002 includes summer protections for households on LIHEAP and a shift in rate-setting: "You cannot be disconnected during that time," and utilities will move toward three-year multi-year rate plans with performance incentives intended to balance affordability and resiliency. The presenters said that change replaces the prior annual, cost-plus approach with a multi-year structure that may take time for utilities and regulators to implement.
The executiv…
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