The 2015 legislative session began Tuesday and will adjourn no later than April 29. This “long session” will include the state’s $30 billion biennial budget and likely see more than 1,000 bills filed. Bill filing deadlines are January 13 and 14 for the House and Senate, respectively. You can count on the environmental and energy area to add its fair share of legislative ideas to the mix. In the environmental arena, we expect to see the following:

• The Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s perennial laundry list of technical “clean-up” items
• Rep. David Wolkins’ “No More Stringent Than” annual initiative
• Something related to “brownfields” and clean-up efforts
• Anti-harvesting of Indiana’s hardwoods
• Above-ground storage tanks controls

In the “water resources” area, we expect to see the following:

• Legislation to direct the Indiana Finance Authority to survey/examine the larger – and a few smaller – water supply utilities in the state
• Establish an Indiana Water Resources Institute
• Create incentives to promote water utilities to invest in infrastructure improvements

And it is likely that the electric power/energy area will really heat up (sorry) as multiple issues rise:

• Legislation related to the Governor’s energy plan
• Energy efficiency measures
• Allowance to purchase electric power outside the current provider
• Install a requirement that any new electric power generation be allowed competitive bids/procurement
• Establish a rate case schedule for electric power utilities of XX (to be determined number of) years
• Address the rural vs. municipal territorial/compensation dispute

Not all of these issues are ones that the Indiana Chamber will necessarily oppose or support – they will be part of the discussion but some may never get a hearing. This is like your friendly weather forecaster trying to tell you if it will rain, snow or be sunny in one month.