FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kellyn Harrison, Press Secretary
Kellyn.Harrison@iga.in.gov
317-232-9498
STATEHOUSE (April 20, 2023) – A bill authored by State Sen. Eric Koch (R-Bedford) that increases small nuclear reactor (SMR) capacity in Indiana was signed into law by the governor today.
Senate Enrolled Act 176 defines a SMR as a nuclear reactor capable of generating up to 470 megawatts of energy – a 34% increase from the state's current 350 megawatt generating cap.
"This bill is part of our 'all of the above' energy policy," Koch said. "Nuclear power provides clean and reliable baseload electricity. Indiana will now be able to incorporate nuclear power into its energy mix over the course of the next decade."
The bill follows Senate Enrolled Act 271, signed into law in 2022, which requires the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to work with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to adopt rules concerning the approval of the construction, purchase or lease of small modular reactors for use in Indiana.
Koch, chairman of the Senate Committee on Utilities, serves as co-chairman of the Energy Supply Task Force of the National Conference of State Legislatures, serves as a member of the Executive Committee of the National Council on Electricity Policy and holds a graduate certificate in Energy Policy Planning from the University of Idaho. He serves Senate District 44, which includes all or parts of Brown, Jackson, Lawrence, Monroe and Orange counties. He also serves on the Senate Committees on Commerce and Technology, Judiciary and Corrections and Criminal Law. Koch can be reached via email at Senator.Koch@iga.in.gov or by phone at 800-382-9467.
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For a high-resolution photo of Sen. Koch, click here.
