Bending the Arc

Indiana knows the value of clean energy. In 2018, a Central Indiana school superintendent says his district’s newly installed solar farm is expected to save the district more than $2 million over 20 years. The Tipton Community School Corp’s nearly 2,000 solar panels went online in the Fall of 2018.

Fast forward to 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) established a path for the nation on climate change that included investments in domestic energy production and promoting clean energy. It also implemented policies to reduce the federal government deficit, change IRS tax laws, and lower prescription drug costs. Indiana qualified for grants to support new electric charging stations and solar projects.

Part of the IRA funding was the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program. The $5 billion program offered funding for the installation of electric vehicle charging stations on state highways and corridors. Indianapolis planned to use its $15 million grant to install charging stations near libraries, parks and culturally relevant sites for Black and Brown communities. In early February, the City announced it had to halt the installation because of federal freezes on grants and loans. Soon after, the state also halted plans for EV charging stations on interstates and highways.

The IRA also authorized a $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. One of its programs, the Solar for All fund, reserved $7 billion to expand solar energy into low-income communities, including in Gary, Indiana. Again, plans to install a solar farm in Gary have been put on hold. Read the full story here.

In contrast, the U.S. Department of Defense requested nearly $850 billion for 2025, largely for military activities. Americans have very different views for how they want their federal dollars used and what it means to care for Earth, and each other.