FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): Hundreds of people attended a public hearing last night at Homestead High School, to voice their opinions regarding the future of the coal-powered plant in Rockford.
RELATED: Rockport, reliable or a ripoff?
Indiana Michigan Power wants to raise consumer rates, so they can pay for a $274-million clean energy project at the power plant. Several opponents stepped up to the microphone to voice their concerns.
“We don’t need more coal-fired power plants, we need renewable energy, that’s what we want, that’s anti-pollution,” one attendee told our partners in news at ABC 21.
“…the way coal-fired power plants offer electricity is affecting our children’s health and our health as adults,” said another opponent.
Others took to Twitter to voice their opposition.
Almost 300 Hoosiers pack @IN_MI_Power rate hike hearing! They don’t want the #RockportRipoff /they want #cleanenergy https://t.co/VCOhGSybVB
— Ricky (@RickyJunquera) February 22, 2017
Fort Wayne hearing to say no to the Rockport Ripoff! via @INBeyondCoal: https://t.co/DD8PG1nC2U #SuperPolluter
— Wendy Bredhold (@WendyBredhold) February 16, 2017
Supporters of implementing the emission control equipment, like Brian Bergsma with American Eclectic Power, says the plant has a lot of life left and it would be even more expensive for consumers if the plant gets shutdown. But now everyone is asking: What happens next?
“The information will be taken back to IURC (Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission) and there will be some normal, evidence type of hearings over the next few weeks and the IURC will make a determination in how we move forward in terms of this environmental control mechanism for Rockport…probably late spring or early summer,” said Bergsma.
WOWO will continue to follow this story as it develops.
