Delaware County is a great place for alternative energy initiatives, a panel of alternative energy company executives and a state senator, said.
Ball State University's Miller College of Business hosted a forum called "Community Readiness for Alternative Energy" Wednesday evening in the Alumni Center. The panel spoke to a crowd of more than 80 people form the local community and other alternative energy companies about how Muncie has great potential.
Indiana Sen. Sue Errington, whose district includes Ball State, is the ranking Democrat on the Senate's Health and Provider Services Committee. She said she "started out from the green side," as a supporter for alternative energy. She has proposed multiple bills in regards to alternative energy in the past. She said Indiana's main strength is manufacturing and that "Indiana and [the green movement] are a natural fit."
According to a 2008 report by the Renewable Energy Policy Project, more than 1,300 Indiana manufacturing businesses could be renewed to produce renewable energy components, giving Indiana the second highest potential in the country for such jobs.
The green movement the panel was pushing Wednesday night could possibly bring about a "Renaissance in Indiana," Errington said.
Greg Winkler, director of project development for Brevini Wind USA, a manufacturer of electricity producing windmill parts, said that it is his responsibility to get the company started in Muncie. Engineering and math skills would be needed for Brevini workers, both on the manufacturing floor and off.
Ball State University offers those programs, which is a plus for the company. Indiana in general is a good place for alternative energy work, Winkler said.
"If you go to other parts of the U.S., you won't find workers like the ones here," he said. "East Central Indiana is in an excellent position for wind as it is located on the eastern end of the wind stream."
Roy Budd, Energize-ECI executive director and a supporter of alternative energy, said his biggest concern is the recent cap-and-trade legislation. If passed, the legislation would allow firms to produce pollution under a certain collective limit, yet allow them to distribute costs due to pollution amongst themselves.
Budd said this would drive the prices for alternative energies up.
The legislation is faced with opposition from Republicans and some Democrats.
Terry Murphy, vice president of Delaware County Economic Development Alliance, said Delaware County needs to be aggressive about alternative energy.
"We should be working to establish ourselves as a community of choice," Murphy said.
The panel addressed questions about possible negative aspects of dependence on wind energy. They said other than aesthetic ones, the only issue is energy storage, which the panel is looking into.
Jim Lowe, director of engineering and operations, said Ball State University's geothermal project, started on May 10 as part of the campus' green movement, is the largest of its kind in the country. The project is expected to replace the university's reliance on fossil fuels. "It makes a lot of sense for the campus," Michael Hicks, director of Ball State's Center for Business and Economic Research, said. "We've got to be very cognizant of internalizing external costs of carbon, whatever those might be. That may end up providing us research opportunities."
Main points
1. Muncie a prime place for harvesting wind energy.
2. Ball State engineering and math majors are potential future employees for alterative energy companies.
3. Cap-and-trade legislation is a threat to alternative energy initiatives, Roy Budd said.
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