An Indiana county official is calling for a mix of solar, wind and coal generation along with stronger local grid infrastructure as the state confronts rising electricity demand and storm-related outages.
Randolph County Assessor George Caster said solar power can coexist with coal and argued that diversifying energy sources could help control costs. Indiana has installed solar capacity equivalent to nearly 851,000 homes, while the state produces almost 24 million tons of coal annually.
Caster said money generated by local energy projects often does not remain in the counties where the facilities operate, limiting its usefulness for local electrical recovery.
Heavy rain and flooding earlier this month left hundreds of thousands of Indiana residents waiting days or weeks for power restoration. Caster said burying more service lines could reduce outages if connection points are built to withstand water.
He also said utilities and policymakers should examine whether solar can provide reliable, lower-cost support during emergency restoration rather than treating energy choices as an either-or decision.
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