Indiana governor signs orders to preserve coal, develop new nuclear resources

Following similar executive orders issued by President Donald Trump, Indiana's governor has directed state agencies to explore ways to bolster coal-fired resources and advance nuclear development.

Governor Mike Braun, a Republican, on April 10 signed three executive orders designed to preserve existing generation and facilitate new construction to meet the state's energy needs.

In one order, Braun directed the state's secretary of energy and natural resources to work with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission and the Indiana Office of Energy Development to "evaluate every remaining coal-based electric generation plant in the state and re-evaluate each unit to consider extending the life of the plant."

The state agencies are tasked with working with the electric utility industry to gather information about electricity demand, assess the state's natural gas supply and "encourage an additive energy strategy," among other measures.

Braun noted that electricity demand in Indiana is "increasing significantly" because of artificial intelligence-linked data centers, reshoring in the industrial sector and consumer electrification. The state, therefore, is advocating for more dispatchable generation to meet these existing and growing energy needs.

While about 5.7 GW of coal-fired generation in Indiana retired between 2012 and 2024, the governor's order states that more than 9 GW of coal generation is "projected to retire or transition to another fuel source" from 2025 to 2038.

Utility plans

Several of Indiana's electricity providers have outlined plans to meet the state's energy needs through a variety of resources, including retiring and replacing coal-fired generation with natural gas, renewable and energy storage projects.

Duke Energy Indiana, however, filed an integrated resource plan with state regulators that calls for keeping two units at its 3,157-MW Gibson coal plant online until 2038 to meet growing demand. The Duke Energy utility subsidiary previously planned to shut down both units by 2035.

Duke Energy Indiana's preferred portfolio in its IRP calls for converting Gibson units 1 and 2 in 2030 so they can run on both coal and gas before their 2038 retirement. The plan also suggests retiring Gibson unit 5 in 2030, followed by units 3 and 4 in 2032. Gibson units 3 and 4, totaling 1,262 MW, would be replaced by a 1,438-MW combined-cycle natural gas-fired power plant.

American Electric Power utility subsidiary Indiana Michigan Power filed its latest IRP with Indiana regulators on March 28 with a preferred portfolio consisting largely of gas capacity and renewable generation.

I&M still intends to retire both units at its 2,600-MW coal-fired Rockport plant in Spencer County, Indiana, by the end of 2028.

The utility has also signaled plans to explore small modular reactor technology at the site, with about 600 MW of SMR capacity planned by 2037.

In another one of Braun's executive orders, the governor calls for exploring advanced nuclear development through the creation of the Nuclear Indiana Coalition.

This coalition, among other tasks, would work to "streamline nuclear project development," including through the use of public-private partnerships and the development of state-level policies.

The Nuclear Indiana Coalition would include representatives from the Indiana Office of Energy Development, the IURC and other state energy, economic development and environmental agencies. The Office of the Utility Consumer Counselor and the nuclear energy industry, utilities sector and other experts or stakeholders also would be part of the coalition.

In a third executive order, the governor prohibits state agencies from incorporating a "social cost of greenhouse gases" into any cost-benefit analysis, rulemaking, permitting, enforcement or other official activity.