Beginning July 1, local governments in Indiana will have much less power to enact regulations that would reduce their contributions to climate change.
Gov. Eric Holcomb signed into law House Bill 1191, authored by Rep. Jim Pressel and co-authored by the chair and vice chair of the House Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications Committee, Rep. Ed Soliday and Rep. Ethan Manning.
The law takes away the power of local governments to prevent the use of fossil fuels and to enact other energy-saving and energy-producing regulations.
Organizations that help communities prepare for climate change impacts, like IU’s Environmental Resilience Institute, could face additional challenges when attempting to carry out their mission.
“It’s still early days, and it’s something we haven’t forecast all the way through,” said Gabriel Filippelli, executive director of Indiana University's Environmental Resilience Institute.
