A recent report suggests that Indiana could be facing an energy shortage – energy companies call on officials to act
Jul 22, 2024
WABASH VALLEY, Ind. (WTHI) – A new report from the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) suggests that Indiana could face an energy shortage within the next year.
According to the report, Indiana could be facing a 2.7GW shortage by next summer. For reference, The Department of Energy says that only 1GW could power over one hundred million lightbulbs.
The MISO report takes into account current energy usage, as well as increased energy usage from arriving developments and companies. This is particularly important for Indiana, where economic developments have been at the forefront of statewide conversation. As more companies and people decide to make Indiana their home, more strain is put on the electrical grid.
State regulators will be working to ensure that the grid can handle these changes. If the grid cannot accommodate the influx in demand, then the state could potentially see rolling blackouts.
Jon Ford is the President of Reliable Energy, and Indianapolis based energy conglomerate. He says that this report is a call to action from state regulators.
“I think for your average person, we aren’t going to have blackouts this week, or anytime soon. It’s just a warning that if we don’t change our ways, and if we don’t work together, we won’t have enough power long term,” says Ford.
Ford also says that this report plays into the recently confirmed rate increase from Duke Energy.
Other statewide energy advocates echo these concerns to regulators. Danielle McGrath is the President of the Indiana Energy Association. She says that this is an exciting time for Indiana, as long as the power grid can keep up.
“It’s a really exciting time for Indiana. We’re on the map, we’re going to continue to be on the map, but this also means that there is potentially going to be some change on the horizon. We know that how we are positioned today is working, but we also know we are going to need some more generation here in the near term” says McGrath.
