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Wind And Solar Limits Raise Costs
Coverage from The Star Press, Indianapolis Star, and others
Studies on restrictions affecting new wind and solar projects point to higher economic and electricity-system costs.
Research on Indiana counties links restrictive ordinances and moratoriums with lower GDP, fewer jobs, and higher tax abatements, while national modeling projects that limiting utility-scale renewable additions would increase power and natural-gas costs and require more gas capacity. The findings highlight a recurring trade-off between local opposition to projects and broader access to investment, affordable electricity, and a more diversified power supply.
The story is mostly reframed rather than fundamentally changed: the Indiana findings are now described more directly as restrictive ordinances and moratoriums tied to lower GDP and jobs, and the national model adds a new operational implication by saying constrained renewables would require more gas capacity. The overall economic-cost narrative is reinforced, with a slightly sharper emphasis on household electricity bills and system reliability.
The story broadened from an Indiana county-level siting issue into a larger economic-policy story about renewable restrictions driving higher power costs nationally. The biggest new element is a modeled U.S. market impact: constrained wind and solar additions could add $121.2 billion in electricity and natural-gas costs from 2027 to 2033.