The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) delivered a 338-page study to the governor and a legislative task force on August 14, 2020, analyzing a variety of state energy policies and market conditions.[1] The House Enrolled Act 1278 of 2019 directed the IURC to conduct a comprehensive study of the statewide impacts of transitions in the fuel sources and other resources used to generate electricity by electric utilities and new and emerging technologies for the generation of electricity. While the report was overseen by the IURC, the analysis was done by the State Utility Forecasting Group (SUFG), the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory (LBNL) and a team of Indiana University (IU) researchers.

Among the scenarios analyzed in the report, two considered the cost impact of a moratorium on coal plant retirements. In one, coal plant retirements would be postponed until at least 2025 and in the other, coal plants would run until 2030. In both scenarios, the analysis showed that postponed coal retirements would lead to slightly higher electricity prices. The IURC study also examined the roles of regional transmission organizations (RTOs), utility-integrated resource plans, and how emerging technologies like rooftop solar and electric vehicles (EVs) would affect Indiana's grid. While the report does not make any specific recommendations, it supports the need for flexibility in planning and the continued reliance on utility integrated resource plans (IRPs) that outline how utilities plan to meet energy demand. IRPs are submitted to the IURC every three years and while they are nonbinding, IRPs help guide power plant investment decisions.

[1]https://www.in.gov/iurc/files/2020%20Report%20to%20the%2021st%20Century%20Energy%20Policy%20Development%20Task%20Force.pdf