Gov. Braun champions new Indiana laws for nuclear energy growth

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indiana Gov. Mike Braun on Wednesday celebrated several new state laws designed to boost Indiana’s energy production, including initiatives to deploy nuclear power.

The measures were officially signed into law about two months ago. The Republican’s office said in a news release that a ceremonial bill-signing Wednesday at the Statehouse marked a significant step in his energy agenda aiming to expand Indiana’s energy capacity with a diverse strategy that includes nuclear energy.

At the center of Indiana’s energy mission is embracing nuclear technology, which Braun described as a clean, carbon-free, always-on workhorse for energy generation. Some of the new energy laws provide a framework and a workforce talent pipeline to support small nuclear reactor facilities. Senate Enrolled Act 423, which became a law on May 1, calls for establishing a small modular nuclear reactor pilot program. Senate Enrolled Act 424, which became a law on April 10, addressed developmental costs for nuclear reactors.

Braun hopes hopes to make Indiana the nation’s leader in nuclear energy.

As of February, Indiana was one of 21 states that did not have nuclear power plants generating electricity, according to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Decades ago, efforts to build two nuclear power plants in Indiana failed due to high costs. One was proposed in the late 1960s near the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore on Lake Michigan. The other was conceived and began construction in the 1970s and 1980s along the Ohio River in Jefferson County, but was abandoned after Public Service Indiana spent $2.5 billion on the effort.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports, as of April 2024, the U.S. had 54 commercially operated nuclear power plants with 94 power reactors in 28 states. Illinois had the most of any state, 11.

The release from the governor’s office noted that Indiana will host the National Governors’ Association’s nuclear energy retreat sometime this summer, and the Global Nuclear Energy & Economic Summit in November at Purdue University.

Other new laws touted as Wednesday’s event included:

• House Bill 1007, which became a law on May 6, calls for 80% of the cost of new energy infrastructure to support new large-load electricity customers coming to the state to be paid by that business, not the ratepayers.
• Senate Enrolled Act 425, which also became a law on May 6, established energy production zones to speed up the process for developing new power generation sites.

In a statement in the release, Braun said, “We are stepping up to the challenge, expanding our energy portfolio, deploying nuclear energy, and innovating to power Indiana’s economy into the future, with affordability and reliability always at top of mind.”

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