Committee reviews gas prices
By Heather Mangold
City
Editor
The Senate Energy and Economic Development Committee
gathered Monday discussing possible solutions for Indiana citizens,
including Purdue students, who are suffering from high natural gas prices.
"Constituents have a hard time keeping up with
gas prices among everything else they have to pay for," said Senate
intern Cody Maurer.
Maurer attended the committee's meeting and said
coal and natural gas industry professionals, as well as environmentalists,
came before the committee. They shared their viewpoints on what would
be the best way for Indiana to make a new energy and economically efficient
state.
The committee and the guest speakers worked to
create an outline that will ensure Indiana does not fall into the same
energy trap California now faces.
Sen. Ron Alting, R-22nd, said, "We need to view
the 'bigger picture' when addressing the energy crisis in our state
and country."
Alting said, "We should specifically look at new
ideas regarding how we might make use of energy and fuel."
The committee entertained the idea of inserting
more power plants and peak plants for energy assurance. Peak plants
would be created and would only be used during peak energy use, said
Maurer.
Fortunately, Indiana has its own natural resource,
coal, which should last for 250 years, said Maurer. Because of this,
Indiana should not be overwhelmed with things that would cause gas prices
to rise.
Dan Schuster, project manager for engineering utilities
at Purdue, said that Purdue has also been affected by rising prices.
Purdue airports and the aviation technology facility
are heated with natural gas and have felt the impact of rising natural
gas prices.
"You could say that the commodity portion of the
gas bill has more than doubled in the last six to eight months," said
Schuster.
Commodity portions of heating bills vary depending
on which rate structures are arranged for the natural gas consumer.
Purdue's rate structure allows Indiana Gas to provide places such as
the airport with an altered natural gas purchase plan, said Schuster.
Purdue consumes a large amount of natural gas, so it is permitted to
buy its gas directly; it does not have to purchase the gas through a
gas company.
The Purdue Village is also heated with natural
gas.
Purdue Village director, Carolyn Newlin, said that
the heating rate for the village is six times more than it was last
year at this time.
Heating costs played a significant part in a six-
percent rate increase that will be implemented for next year's residents
of the Purdue Village.
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