STATEHOUSE (Feb. 14, 2025) – The Indiana House of Representatives recently advanced State Rep. Ed Soliday's (R-Valparaiso) legislation to streamline the entry process of new energy sources and keep our power grid reliable, a priority for the Indiana House Republicans.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 45% of Indiana's energy was consumed by the state's industrial sector, including steelmaking. Soliday, chair of the House Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications Committee, said that as businesses continue to make Indiana their home, we need to ensure we can meet the energy demand. House Bill 1007 would reduce barriers to entry for companies looking to use small modular nuclear reactors to generate energy.
"Indiana needs to make sure we are gradually enhancing our energy grid," Soliday said. "With small modular nuclear reactors, our state can continue to grow while reinforcing the five pillars of energy policy, which are reliability, affordability, resiliency, stability and environmental sustainability."
SMRs are compact sources of energy that can be used alone or with other similar sources to create energy for a single location or numerous residential, commercial and industrial locations. Companies that need large amounts of energy may be able to utilize SMRs to supplement generation without burdening the grid.
House Bill 1007 now heads to the Senate for consideration. To learn more and follow legislative proceedings, visit iga.in.gov.
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State Rep. Ed Soliday (R-Valparaiso) represents House District 4,
which includes a portion of Porter County.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
