The bill is based off of a similar law in Michigan. Every year electric utilities would have to show how they plan to provide reliable energy to their customers for the next three years.

A new program at Indiana State University aims to retrain coal plant workers in electric transmission and distribution.

The Schahfer, Michigan City, Petersburg and Rockport coal plants will be fully or partially closed by 2028. Thatll likely mean less tax revenue for things like schools.

The state has approved Duke Energy's rate increase, but for less than half as much money as the utility had requested. The utility had asked for $395 million last July and was approved for $146 million.

The utilities say theyre losing money because building closures have driven down the demand for energy.

The original version of the bill aimed to keep coal plants open until Indiana could come up with a statewide energy plan. But the current version only requires utilities to note planned coal plant closures in their long-term energy plans.

The Indiana NAACP says keeping coal plants open longer would negatively affect the health of low-income and minority communities in the state.

A bill that would make it harder for utilities to close coal plants in Indiana passed in the state House on Monday 52 to 41.

The bill's author says utilities are relying more and more on renewable energy sources and the energy marketplace -- and that could threaten reliability.

Indianapolis Power & Light plans to close two of its four coal units at its Petersburg plant by 2023. But environmentalists say IPL needs to move away from coal more quickly.