Tag Archives: Indiana

Indiana’s Green Technology Future

03 Tuesday Feb 2009

Posted by in Tech Developments

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

The United States overtook Germany as the biggest producer of wind power last year, and will likely take the lead in solar power this year.  U.S. wind power capacity surged 50 percent last year to 25 gigawatts – enough to power more than five million homes. “Governments must send a strong and unequivocal signal that the age of fossil fuels is over,” said Steve Sawyer, secretary general of the Global Wind Energy Council.

This is great news for the U.S., but what does it mean for Indiana?  Is Indiana ready to jump into the green technology movement?  Can coal-dependent Indiana benefit from a shift to wind, solar or other green energy source?

Unfortunately, on wind power, the answer is probably no.  In order for an area to have suitable wind energy potential for wind turbine applications, it needs to have class 3 or greater annual average wind power.  Taking a look at a map of Indiana’s average wind power, it’s pretty apparent that, apart from Gary and areas bordering Lake Michigan, there just isn’t a lot of wind blowing here.  Class 1 and 2 wind power dominates the state map.

This doesn’t mean that technology won’t someday allow lower wind powers to be harnessed, but it does mean that current wind power providers are going to look outside Indiana for initial investment.  Indiana is not poised to be a breeding ground for new wind technology.

Notwithstanding wind power, Indiana does tout other renewable energy resources that can be tapped, such as clean, competitive, low-carbon energy, solar, biomass and geothermal energy.  The Green Jobs Development Act, comprised of two bills (Senate Bill 283 and House Bill 1349), is currently making its way through both Indiana legislative branches.  Listed below is a summary of the Act’s main points:

Click here for the full fact sheet, which additionally sets out how the Green Jobs Development Act will create new jobs and what happens with coal energy, on which Indiana is currently 96% dependent.  If you want to improve the chances of the Green Jobs Development Act being heard and passed, contact either (or both) of the Chairmen of the House Utilities and Senate Utilities Committees.  Email Chairman Win Moses (h81@in.gov) of the Indiana House about HB 1349 and Chairman James Merritt of the Indiana Senate (s31@in.gov) about SB 283.

South Bend poised for high tech future in nanotechnology

26 Monday Jan 2009

Posted by in Tech Developments

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Here’s some positive tech news out of South Bend:

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – (Business Wire) In these tough economic times, many U.S. cities are bracing for change – negative change, that is.

But not South Bend, Indiana. In fact, the city’s future is looking rather bright.

Defiantly optimistic and audaciously hopeful, the administration of South Bend Mayor Stephen Luecke has seen the city’s future, and it’s high tech.

“This is a transformational time for South Bend,” explains Luecke, whose administration has embarked on a bold strategy to attract and promote high tech start-ups through major investments, strategic partnerships, and infrastructure development. “In fact, it’s critical to provide the kind of environment that will attract new investment, draw world-class talent and create jobs.”

southbend

“Central to South Bend’s promising high tech future is the Midwest Institute for Nanoelectronics Discovery (MIND), comprised of Notre Dame and other universities, and funded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology as well as a consortium of the world’s leading computer chip makers – including Intel and IBM.

MIND is one of four primary research centers nationwide that are part of the Nanoelectronics Research Initiative (NRI), established by the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC).

NRI Director Jeffrey Welser, Ph.D., notes that the strong partnership between South Bend and Notre Dame played a large role in the decision to base MIND in South Bend.

“In my experience with the SRC, South Bend is the first city to have ever become this involved in supporting a university in its efforts to establish a nanoelectronic research facility,” Welser says.

Follow the link for full article.