While utilities say they need these plants to serve as a backup when the sun isnt shining and the wind isnt blowing, environmental activists say theyre unnecessary, polluting, and costly for customers. Whos right? Its not that simple.

It's part of the utility's long-term plan to power AES customers with 13 percent natural gas and at least 78 percent wind, solar, and battery storage by 2042.

AES Indiana's Eagle Valley plant near Martinsville ran into problems in late April when crews were restarting it after a planned maintenance outage, the company told the state utility commission.

The pipeline would bring gas from other states to two small natural gas plants in southern Indiana that CenterPoint Energy intends to build.

The utility plans to close most of its coal units and get more than 60 percent of its power from solar, wind and battery storage by 2025.

House Bill 1191 would now allow universities to put policies in place to make their buildings greener, but cities still wouldnt be able to do so.

Indiana regulators have fined CenterPoint nearly $900,000 for natural gas pipeline violations the utility previously known as Vectren committed in 2019.

A state House bill aims to stop Indiana cities from banning gas stoves and other natural gas equipment in new homes and businesses.

The state said the company failed to timely find or mark some of its pipelines -- which could have caused natural gas explosions.

The fuel produced at Indy High BTU plant is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions comparable to 19,000 passenger cars each year on the road.