Economy of Indiana
Encyclopedia
The total gross state product in 2005 was US$214 billion in 2000 chained dollars. Indiana's per capita income, as of 2005, was US$31,150. A high percentage of Indiana's income is from manufacturing. The Calumet region of northwest Indiana
is the largest steel
producing area in the U.S. Steelmaking itself requires generating very large amounts of electric power. Indiana's other manufactures include pharmaceuticals and medical devices, automobiles, electrical equipment, transportation equipment, chemical products, rubber, petroleum
and coal
products, and factory machinery.
was opened to American traffic following the Louisiana Purchase
, agricultural grew rapidly in the state, but was still hampered by the lack of internal transportation in the state.
The Indiana General Assembly
attempted to remedy the transportation system in the late 1810s, but was thwarted by the Panic of 1819
which caused the state's only two banks to collapse. A second attempt was launched in the early 1830s leading to the passage of the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act
. The state funded the creations of canals, railroads, and roads across the state resulting in large rise in land and produce values. Although the spending bankrupted the state, the foundation it provided allowed Indiana to grow into one of the leading farming states by the 1850s.
The 1860s and the American Civil War
led to the rapid completion of the state's railroad system and the growth of small industry. Building railroad cars and glass manufacturing became the state early leading industries, established primarily in the central parts of the state. Southern Indiana, however was adversely affected by the war and never regained it economic dominance in the state. Prior to the war, the largest cites were along the Ohio River
and had a thriving trade with the south and large ship building centers that languished in the war. In most of the state, the war led to a rise in the value of farm produce and significantly raised the state's standards of living.
The post-Civil War period was a difficult time for industrial workers in Indiana. Like workers elsewhere in the country, Indiana miners and factory workers were often underpaid. They worked under dangerous conditions, and they went jobless during economic recessions, such as those of 1873 and 1893. Many workers joined the farmers in supporting the Greenback Party and similar movements. Some workers joined labor organizations such as the Knights of Labor
, the American Federation of Labor
, the United Mine Workers of America, and the American Railway Union
, which was led by Eugene V. Debs
of Terre Haute.
Beginning about 1890, Indiana was swept by a second wave of industrial growth that transformed it into a predominantly urban, industrial state by 1920. Growth began with the Indiana Gas Boom
in mid 1880s leading to rapid development in the east-central parts of the state. The trend continued during the period of expansion fed by the cheap access to fuel and the focus of growth moved primarily to heavy industry, especially in the Calumet region of northwestern Indiana. Before 1889, when a large oil refinery was built at Whiting, the Calumet was a sparsely populated strip of swamps and sand dunes. In 1905 the Calumet received its major push to development when the United States Steel Corporation decided to locate its Midwestern mills there. The next year U.S. Steel laid out the city of Gary, naming it after its chairman of the board, Elbert H. Gary. By 1920 the Calumet was one of the leading industrial centers in North America.
Indiana farmers prospered in the early years of the 20th century and during World War I (1914–1918). After the war, however, inflated costs and declining prices contributed to a farm recession that continued through the 1920s. Industrial workers fared better, although there were bitter strikes in Indiana’s coal and steel industries and on the railroads in the years just after the war. The 1930s, a time of worldwide economic depression, were difficult for most Hoosier
s. There was widespread unemployment, particularly in the southern part of the state more than half the residents were without jobs during the worst years. Federal and state aid programs were undertaken. In January 1937, natural disaster added to Indiana’s difficulties when the Ohio River flooded much of southern Indiana. Hundreds of Indianans died in the flood, and property damage was estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars.
Indiana’s economy, like that of the nation, underwent a resurgence during World War II (1939–1945). A great range of goods was produced in the state’s factories, including tanks, airplanes, guns, and communications equipment.
Continued prosperity marked the postwar era. Manufacturing remained the leading economic activity, and farming continued to become increasingly mechanized. Although farm production increased, the number of farm workers declined. The total number of farms also decreased, often because small farms were merged to form larger, more efficient units.
Indiana’s economic growth slowed during the national economic recessions of the 1980s, mostly because of a deep slump in production by heavy industry. By 1983, the state’s unemployment rate was about 12 percent, one of the highest in the nation. In the early 1980s, many farmers went deeply into debt and hundreds of farms went out of business. The state’s economy recovered in the late 1980s as some manufacturing industries made comebacks and as community, social, and personal service industries grew rapidly, and economic diversification occurred.
During the early years of the 1990s, Indiana’s economy continued to improve as service activities grew in the larger metropolitan areas and the state’s pharmaceutical and agricultural chemical industries underwent major expansions. Already Indiana had replaced Pennsylvania as the nation’s leading steel producer, and the port commission’s deepwater port on Lake Michigan, as well as its two river ports in southern Indiana, developed substantial international and national traffic. Indiana’s generally strong economy generated record low unemployment figures and a large budget surplus, considerably in excess of $1 billion. The state’s income was augmented by revenue from newly instituted venues for gambling (at racetracks and riverboat casinos) and a state lottery begun in the late 1980s.
, receiving about 4.3$ billion dollars: divided:
Governor Daniels was adamant about not using federal stimulus money to prop up the budget, warning that spending the money on regular expenses instead of one-time projects will leave the budget in worse shape when the stimulus ends in two years. Daniels had signaled support for budgeters' proposal to pump some stimulus money into schools to give them a needed boost, while holding some federal cash in reserve to create a fiscal glide path once the stimulus goes away.
rate of 3.4%. Many Indiana counties also collect income tax. The state sales tax
rate is 7%. Property tax
es are imposed on both real and personal property in Indiana and are administered by the Department of Local Government Finance. Property is subject to taxation by a variety of taxing units (schools, counties, townships, cities and towns, libraries), making the total tax rate the sum of the tax rates imposed by all taxing units in which a property is located. However, a "circuit breaker" law enacted on March 19, 2008 limits property tax
es to one percent of assessed value for homeowners, two percent for rental properties and farmland and three percent for businesses.
Indiana’s sales tax has, for most of the last 30 years, generated the largest share of tax receipts--49 percent FY 2010. No single tax has ever comprised 50 percent of the state’s total revenue. Indiana’s income tax became more important in producing revenue during the 1980s and 1990s. Its share of the revenue total has grown from about 25 percent to more than 40 percent in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
In Fiscal year 2011 Indiana reported one of the largest surpluses among U.S states, with an extra $1.2 billion in its accounts. Gov. Mitch Daniels, a Republican, on Friday authorized bonus payments of up to $1,000 for state employees. An employee who “meets expectations” will get $500, those who “exceed expectations” will receive $750 and “outstanding workers” will see an extra $1,000 in their August paychecks
Sources of energy (2009) See below Navbox for individual facilities.
Indiana has six hydroelectric dams. The Norway and Oakdale Dams near Monticello provide electrical power, recreation, and other benefits to local citizens. The Norway Dam created Lake Shafer and the Oakdale Dam created Lake Freeman. The Markland Dam, on the Ohio River, near Vevay, Indiana also produces electricity. The city of Wabash was the first electrically lighted city in the country.
Indiana is becoming a leading state in the production of biofuels, such as ethanol
and biodiesel
. Indiana now has 12 ethanol and 4 biodiesel plants located in the state. Reynolds
, located north of Lafayette
is now known as BioTown, USA. The town is experimenting with using biofuels and organic fuels, such as those made with manure, to power the town.
Solar power is being investigated. As of early 2010, Indiana has no large-scale solar power facilities.
Commercial wind power in Indiana began in 2008 when the Benton County Wind Farm
came online. New estimates of wind resources in 2006 raised the potential wind power capacity for Indiana from 30 MW at 50 m turbine hub height to 40,000 MW at 70 m, which could double at 100 m, the height of newer turbines. At the end of June, 2008, Indiana had installed 130 MW of wind turbines and had under construction another 400 MW. , Indiana had a total of 1035.95 MW of wind power nameplate capacity
installed, with more under construction or in planning.
Indiana has no geothermal electrical power generation facility. The Indiana Geological Survey was conducting a study to catalogue all potentially exploitable sources of geothermal heat in the state.
In 2010, the Indiana Heating and Air-Conditioning Incentive Program (IHIP) provides rebates of up to $1000 for the purchase and installation of Energy Star-rated geothermal heat pumps.
One of the largest geothermal heat pump systems in the United States is a GeoExchange pond coupled loop system by Geothermal Design Associates at the St. Joseph Medical Center in Fort Wayne
.
. Some farm products produced are: corn, wheat, oats, hay, and soybeans. Livestock production includes: cattle, hogs, poultry, and sheep.
Corn is the leading crop grown in Indiana. In 1997, two-fifths of all cropland was planted in corn. One-half of all crop income usually comes from the sale of corn, but even this underestimates the true importance of corn, since much of it is not sold, but is instead fed to livestock. Much of Indiana’s corn crop is fed to hogs on the farms where both are raised. The significance of soybeans has increased in recent years, approaching corn in terms of value and amount produced. Wheat and vegetables, especially tomatoes for processing, are also important crops. In addition, Indiana is noted as one of the few producers in the United States of spearmint and peppermint, grown mostly in the northwest. In 1997 Indiana ranked ninth in sales of all crops, but fourth in sales of soybeans and fifth in sales of corn.
in Indianapolis, the state's largest corporation. Mead Johnson Nutritionals, a subsidiary of Bristol-Myers Squibb
, in Evansville is another large producer. Elkhart
has also had a strong economic base of pharmaceuticals, though it has decreased over with the closure of Whitehall Laboratories in the 1990s and of the large Bayer
complex, announced in late 2005. Overall, Indiana ranks fifth among all U.S. states in total sales and shipments of pharmaceutical products and second highest in the number of biopharmaceutical related jobs. Medical device manufacturers include Zimmer
in Warsaw, Roche Diagnostics in Indianapolis, and Cook
in Bloomington.
from the southern, hilly portion of the state, especially from Lawrence County
. One of the many public buildings faced with this stone is The Pentagon
, and after the September 11, 2001 attacks
, a special effort was made by the mining industry of Indiana to replace those damaged walls with as nearly identical type and cut of material as the original facing. There are also large coal mines in the southern portion of the state. Like most Great Lakes states, Indiana has small to medium operating petroleum
fields; the principal location of these today is in Southwestern Indiana
, though operational oil derricks can be seen on the outskirts of Terre Haute.
Northwest Indiana
Northwest Indiana, also known as the South Shore and The Calumet Region or simply The Region, comprises Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton and Jasper counties in Indiana. This region neighbors Lake Michigan and is part of the Chicago metropolitan area...
is the largest steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
producing area in the U.S. Steelmaking itself requires generating very large amounts of electric power. Indiana's other manufactures include pharmaceuticals and medical devices, automobiles, electrical equipment, transportation equipment, chemical products, rubber, petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
and coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
products, and factory machinery.
History
Indiana's earliest economy revolved around trade with the Native American tribes in the northern and central parts of the state. The state government established a trading monopoly with the tribes who became the primary purchasers of Indiana's goods. Economic growth was slow to begin in the state, primarily due to the inability to ship goods to market affordably. After the Mississippi RiverMississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
was opened to American traffic following the Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
, agricultural grew rapidly in the state, but was still hampered by the lack of internal transportation in the state.
The Indiana General Assembly
Indiana General Assembly
The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate...
attempted to remedy the transportation system in the late 1810s, but was thwarted by the Panic of 1819
Panic of 1819
The Panic of 1819 was the first major financial crisis in the United States, and had occurred during the political calm of the Era of Good Feelings. The new nation previously had faced a depression following the war of independence in the late 1780s and led directly to the establishment of the...
which caused the state's only two banks to collapse. A second attempt was launched in the early 1830s leading to the passage of the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act
Indiana Mammoth Internal Improvement Act
The Indiana Mammoth Internal Improvement Act was a bipartisan law passed by the Indiana General Assembly and signed by Whig Governor Noah Noble in 1836 that greatly expanded the state's program of internal improvements. It added an additional $10 million to spending and funded several projects,...
. The state funded the creations of canals, railroads, and roads across the state resulting in large rise in land and produce values. Although the spending bankrupted the state, the foundation it provided allowed Indiana to grow into one of the leading farming states by the 1850s.
The 1860s and the American Civil War
Indiana in the American Civil War
Indiana, a state in the Midwestern United States, played an important role during the American Civil War. Despite significant anti-war activity in the state and southern Indiana's ancestral ties to the Southern United States, it did not secede from the Union...
led to the rapid completion of the state's railroad system and the growth of small industry. Building railroad cars and glass manufacturing became the state early leading industries, established primarily in the central parts of the state. Southern Indiana, however was adversely affected by the war and never regained it economic dominance in the state. Prior to the war, the largest cites were along the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
and had a thriving trade with the south and large ship building centers that languished in the war. In most of the state, the war led to a rise in the value of farm produce and significantly raised the state's standards of living.
The post-Civil War period was a difficult time for industrial workers in Indiana. Like workers elsewhere in the country, Indiana miners and factory workers were often underpaid. They worked under dangerous conditions, and they went jobless during economic recessions, such as those of 1873 and 1893. Many workers joined the farmers in supporting the Greenback Party and similar movements. Some workers joined labor organizations such as the Knights of Labor
Knights of Labor
The Knights of Labor was the largest and one of the most important American labor organizations of the 1880s. Its most important leader was Terence Powderly...
, the American Federation of Labor
American Federation of Labor
The American Federation of Labor was one of the first federations of labor unions in the United States. It was founded in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions disaffected from the Knights of Labor, a national labor association. Samuel Gompers was elected president of the Federation at its...
, the United Mine Workers of America, and the American Railway Union
American Railway Union
The American Railway Union , was the largest labor union of its time, and one of the first industrial unions in the United States. It was founded on June 20, 1893, by railway workers gathered in Chicago, Illinois, and under the leadership of Eugene V...
, which was led by Eugene V. Debs
Eugene V. Debs
Eugene Victor Debs was an American union leader, one of the founding members of the International Labor Union and the Industrial Workers of the World , and several times the candidate of the Socialist Party of America for President of the United States...
of Terre Haute.
Beginning about 1890, Indiana was swept by a second wave of industrial growth that transformed it into a predominantly urban, industrial state by 1920. Growth began with the Indiana Gas Boom
Indiana Gas Boom
The Indiana Gas Boom was a period of active drilling and production of natural gas in the Trenton Gas Field, in the US state of Indiana and the adjacent northwest part of Ohio The boom began in the early 1880s and lasted into the early twentieth century....
in mid 1880s leading to rapid development in the east-central parts of the state. The trend continued during the period of expansion fed by the cheap access to fuel and the focus of growth moved primarily to heavy industry, especially in the Calumet region of northwestern Indiana. Before 1889, when a large oil refinery was built at Whiting, the Calumet was a sparsely populated strip of swamps and sand dunes. In 1905 the Calumet received its major push to development when the United States Steel Corporation decided to locate its Midwestern mills there. The next year U.S. Steel laid out the city of Gary, naming it after its chairman of the board, Elbert H. Gary. By 1920 the Calumet was one of the leading industrial centers in North America.
Indiana farmers prospered in the early years of the 20th century and during World War I (1914–1918). After the war, however, inflated costs and declining prices contributed to a farm recession that continued through the 1920s. Industrial workers fared better, although there were bitter strikes in Indiana’s coal and steel industries and on the railroads in the years just after the war. The 1930s, a time of worldwide economic depression, were difficult for most Hoosier
Hoosier
Hoosier is the official demonym for a resident of the U.S. state of Indiana. Although residents of most U.S. states typically adopt a derivative of the state name, e.g., "Indianan" or "Indianian", natives of Indiana rarely use these. Indiana adopted the nickname "Hoosier State" more than 150...
s. There was widespread unemployment, particularly in the southern part of the state more than half the residents were without jobs during the worst years. Federal and state aid programs were undertaken. In January 1937, natural disaster added to Indiana’s difficulties when the Ohio River flooded much of southern Indiana. Hundreds of Indianans died in the flood, and property damage was estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars.
Indiana’s economy, like that of the nation, underwent a resurgence during World War II (1939–1945). A great range of goods was produced in the state’s factories, including tanks, airplanes, guns, and communications equipment.
Continued prosperity marked the postwar era. Manufacturing remained the leading economic activity, and farming continued to become increasingly mechanized. Although farm production increased, the number of farm workers declined. The total number of farms also decreased, often because small farms were merged to form larger, more efficient units.
Indiana’s economic growth slowed during the national economic recessions of the 1980s, mostly because of a deep slump in production by heavy industry. By 1983, the state’s unemployment rate was about 12 percent, one of the highest in the nation. In the early 1980s, many farmers went deeply into debt and hundreds of farms went out of business. The state’s economy recovered in the late 1980s as some manufacturing industries made comebacks and as community, social, and personal service industries grew rapidly, and economic diversification occurred.
During the early years of the 1990s, Indiana’s economy continued to improve as service activities grew in the larger metropolitan areas and the state’s pharmaceutical and agricultural chemical industries underwent major expansions. Already Indiana had replaced Pennsylvania as the nation’s leading steel producer, and the port commission’s deepwater port on Lake Michigan, as well as its two river ports in southern Indiana, developed substantial international and national traffic. Indiana’s generally strong economy generated record low unemployment figures and a large budget surplus, considerably in excess of $1 billion. The state’s income was augmented by revenue from newly instituted venues for gambling (at racetracks and riverboat casinos) and a state lottery begun in the late 1980s.
Economic Stimulus plan
Indiana got its share in the economic stimulus plan suggested by president Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, receiving about 4.3$ billion dollars: divided:
- $1.3 billion for education
- $1.4 billion for Medicaid
- $658 million for state and local transportation and/or infrastructure projects
- $100 million for housing
- $100 million for water quality
- $400 million for nutrition
- $70 million for energy
- $70 million for employment services
- $40 million for child care
- $40 million for justice-related projects
Governor Daniels was adamant about not using federal stimulus money to prop up the budget, warning that spending the money on regular expenses instead of one-time projects will leave the budget in worse shape when the stimulus ends in two years. Daniels had signaled support for budgeters' proposal to pump some stimulus money into schools to give them a needed boost, while holding some federal cash in reserve to create a fiscal glide path once the stimulus goes away.
Fiscal Policy
Indiana has a flat state income taxIncome tax
An income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
rate of 3.4%. Many Indiana counties also collect income tax. The state sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
rate is 7%. Property tax
Property tax
A property tax is an ad valorem levy on the value of property that the owner is required to pay. The tax is levied by the governing authority of the jurisdiction in which the property is located; it may be paid to a national government, a federated state or a municipality...
es are imposed on both real and personal property in Indiana and are administered by the Department of Local Government Finance. Property is subject to taxation by a variety of taxing units (schools, counties, townships, cities and towns, libraries), making the total tax rate the sum of the tax rates imposed by all taxing units in which a property is located. However, a "circuit breaker" law enacted on March 19, 2008 limits property tax
Property tax
A property tax is an ad valorem levy on the value of property that the owner is required to pay. The tax is levied by the governing authority of the jurisdiction in which the property is located; it may be paid to a national government, a federated state or a municipality...
es to one percent of assessed value for homeowners, two percent for rental properties and farmland and three percent for businesses.
Indiana’s sales tax has, for most of the last 30 years, generated the largest share of tax receipts--49 percent FY 2010. No single tax has ever comprised 50 percent of the state’s total revenue. Indiana’s income tax became more important in producing revenue during the 1980s and 1990s. Its share of the revenue total has grown from about 25 percent to more than 40 percent in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
In Fiscal year 2011 Indiana reported one of the largest surpluses among U.S states, with an extra $1.2 billion in its accounts. Gov. Mitch Daniels, a Republican, on Friday authorized bonus payments of up to $1,000 for state employees. An employee who “meets expectations” will get $500, those who “exceed expectations” will receive $750 and “outstanding workers” will see an extra $1,000 in their August paychecks
Local budget
The concept of a funded budget is one of the keys to local government budgeting in Indiana. Funded budget is defined as the available resources greater than the necessary appropriations at the end of the budget cycle. It involves two related budgeting principles:- Each Township Board annually adopts a single integrated funded budget, which reflects the financial program of every department, both individually and collectively.
- Indiana law requires not only a funded budget, but also one which balances each component fund or account.
Energy
| Fuel | Capacity | Percent of Total Consumed | Percent of Total Production | Number of Plants/Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coal Coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure... |
22,190.5 MW | 63 % | 88.5 % | 28 Plants |
| Natural Gas Natural gas Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural... |
2,100 MW | 29 % | 10.5 % | 15 Facilities *Often used in Peaking Stations Peaking power plant Peaking power plants, also known as peaker plants, and occasionally just "peakers," are power plants that generally run only when there is a high demand, known as peak demand, for electricity.-Peak hours:... |
| Wind Wind power in Indiana Wind power in Indiana was limited to a few small water-pumping windmills on farms until 2008 with construction of Indiana's first utility-scale wind power facility, Goodland with a nameplate capacity of 130 MW. In 2009, three more wind farms opened: Fowler Ridge , Meadow Lake , and Hoosier... (Currently The fastest growing form of energy in Indiana) |
1,036 MW 1,836.5 MW when all current wind farms are complete |
? | ? | 4 Farms appx 1,000–1,100 Towers total |
| Coal Gasification Coal gasification Coal gasification is the process of producing coal gas, a type of syngas–a mixture of carbon monoxide , hydrogen , carbon dioxide and water vapour –from coal... |
600 MW | ? | ? | 1 Facility under Construction |
| Petroleum Petroleum Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling... |
575 MW | 7.5 % | 1.5 % | 10 Units |
| Hydroelectric | 64 MW | 0.0450 % | 0.0100 % | 1 Plant |
| Biomass Biomass Biomass, as a renewable energy source, is biological material from living, or recently living organisms. As an energy source, biomass can either be used directly, or converted into other energy products such as biofuel.... |
28 MW | 0.0150 % | 0.0020 % | 1 Facility |
| Wood Wood Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression... & Waste Waste Waste is unwanted or useless materials. In biology, waste is any of the many unwanted substances or toxins that are expelled from living organisms, metabolic waste; such as urea, sweat or feces. Litter is waste which has been disposed of improperly... |
18 MW | 0.0013 % | 0.0015 % | 3 Units |
| Geothermal Geothermal Geothermal is related to energy and may refer to:* The geothermal gradient and associated heat flows from within the Earth- Renewable technology :... and/or Solar |
0 MW | 0.0 % | 0.0 | No Facilities at this time |
| Nuclear Nuclear power Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity... |
0 MW | 0.0 % | 0.0 | 12 facilities just completed |
| Total | 22,797.5 MW * only includes top number of wind |
100% | 100% | 46 Generating Facilities |
Oil, natural gas, and coal
Most of the electricity generated in Indiana in the early 21st century came from steam-driven power plants fueled by black coal. Although western Indiana has an abundance of coal, its high sulfur content has encouraged some utilities to bring in coal from Wyoming. Most of the plants are operated by privately owned utilities. In 1984 the construction of two nuclear power plants was abandoned because of escalating costs. Most steam driven power plants are located along the Wabash and Ohio Rivers.Hydro
Indiana has six hydroelectric dams. The Norway and Oakdale Dams near Monticello provide electrical power, recreation, and other benefits to local citizens. The Norway Dam created Lake Shafer and the Oakdale Dam created Lake Freeman. The Markland Dam, on the Ohio River, near Vevay, Indiana also produces electricity. The city of Wabash was the first electrically lighted city in the country.
Biofuels
Indiana is becoming a leading state in the production of biofuels, such as ethanol
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
and biodiesel
Biodiesel
Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids with an alcohol....
. Indiana now has 12 ethanol and 4 biodiesel plants located in the state. Reynolds
Reynolds, Indiana
Reynolds is a town in Honey Creek Township, White County, Indiana, United States. The population was 533 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Reynolds is located at ....
, located north of Lafayette
Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 67,140. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on...
is now known as BioTown, USA. The town is experimenting with using biofuels and organic fuels, such as those made with manure, to power the town.
Solar
Solar power is being investigated. As of early 2010, Indiana has no large-scale solar power facilities.
Wind
Commercial wind power in Indiana began in 2008 when the Benton County Wind Farm
Benton County Wind Farm
The Benton County Wind Farm consists of 87 model sl/sle Gen4 GE 1.5 MW wind turbines near Earl Park, Indiana in northern Benton County, Indiana. The farm's nameplate capacity is 130.5 MW. It began commercial operation in April 2008. At the time of its construction, it was Indiana's only...
came online. New estimates of wind resources in 2006 raised the potential wind power capacity for Indiana from 30 MW at 50 m turbine hub height to 40,000 MW at 70 m, which could double at 100 m, the height of newer turbines. At the end of June, 2008, Indiana had installed 130 MW of wind turbines and had under construction another 400 MW. , Indiana had a total of 1035.95 MW of wind power nameplate capacity
Nameplate capacity
Nameplate capacity, also known as the rated capacity, nominal capacity, installed capacity or maximum effect, refers to the intended technical full–load sustained output of a facility such as a power plant, a chemical plant, fuel plant, metal refinery, mine, and many others.For dispatchable power,...
installed, with more under construction or in planning.
Geothermal
Indiana has no geothermal electrical power generation facility. The Indiana Geological Survey was conducting a study to catalogue all potentially exploitable sources of geothermal heat in the state.
In 2010, the Indiana Heating and Air-Conditioning Incentive Program (IHIP) provides rebates of up to $1000 for the purchase and installation of Energy Star-rated geothermal heat pumps.
One of the largest geothermal heat pump systems in the United States is a GeoExchange pond coupled loop system by Geothermal Design Associates at the St. Joseph Medical Center in Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
.
Agriculture
Agriculture is an important industry in Indiana which is part of the Corn BeltCorn Belt
The Corn Belt is a region of the Midwestern United States where corn has, since the 1850s, been the predominant crop, replacing the native tall grasses. By 1950, 99% of the corn was grown from hybrids. Most corn is fed to livestock, especially hogs and poultry. In recent decades soybeans have...
. Some farm products produced are: corn, wheat, oats, hay, and soybeans. Livestock production includes: cattle, hogs, poultry, and sheep.
Corn is the leading crop grown in Indiana. In 1997, two-fifths of all cropland was planted in corn. One-half of all crop income usually comes from the sale of corn, but even this underestimates the true importance of corn, since much of it is not sold, but is instead fed to livestock. Much of Indiana’s corn crop is fed to hogs on the farms where both are raised. The significance of soybeans has increased in recent years, approaching corn in terms of value and amount produced. Wheat and vegetables, especially tomatoes for processing, are also important crops. In addition, Indiana is noted as one of the few producers in the United States of spearmint and peppermint, grown mostly in the northwest. In 1997 Indiana ranked ninth in sales of all crops, but fourth in sales of soybeans and fifth in sales of corn.
Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices
Indiana is home to the international headquarters of pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli LillyEli Lilly and Company
Eli Lilly and Company is a global pharmaceutical company. Eli Lilly's global headquarters is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the United States...
in Indianapolis, the state's largest corporation. Mead Johnson Nutritionals, a subsidiary of Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb , often referred to as BMS, is a pharmaceutical company, headquartered in New York City. The company was formed in 1989, following the merger of its predecessors Bristol-Myers and the Squibb Corporation...
, in Evansville is another large producer. Elkhart
Elkhart, Indiana
Elkhart is a city in Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. The city is located east of South Bend, northwest of Fort Wayne, east of Chicago, and north of Indianapolis...
has also had a strong economic base of pharmaceuticals, though it has decreased over with the closure of Whitehall Laboratories in the 1990s and of the large Bayer
Bayer
Bayer AG is a chemical and pharmaceutical company founded in Barmen , Germany in 1863. It is headquartered in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and well known for its original brand of aspirin.-History:...
complex, announced in late 2005. Overall, Indiana ranks fifth among all U.S. states in total sales and shipments of pharmaceutical products and second highest in the number of biopharmaceutical related jobs. Medical device manufacturers include Zimmer
Zimmer Holdings
-History:Zimmer was founded in 1927 and is headquartered in Warsaw, Indiana, where it is part of the medical devices business cluster there.-Products:...
in Warsaw, Roche Diagnostics in Indianapolis, and Cook
Cook Group
Cook Group Incorporated is an American privately held company based in Bloomington, Indiana, and primarily involved in manufacturing of medical devices. It was ranked #324 in Forbes' 2008 America's Largest Private Companies. It has three main divisions: Cook Medical, Allied Manufacturing, and...
in Bloomington.
Mining
In mining, Indiana is probably best known for its decorative limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
from the southern, hilly portion of the state, especially from Lawrence County
Lawrence County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 45,922 people, 18,535 households, and 13,141 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 20,560 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
. One of the many public buildings faced with this stone is The Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
, and after the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, a special effort was made by the mining industry of Indiana to replace those damaged walls with as nearly identical type and cut of material as the original facing. There are also large coal mines in the southern portion of the state. Like most Great Lakes states, Indiana has small to medium operating petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
fields; the principal location of these today is in Southwestern Indiana
Southwestern Indiana
Southwestern Indiana is a 11-county region of Indiana located at the southernmost and westernmost part of the state. As of the 2000 census, the region's combined population is 465,338. Evansville, Indiana's third largest city, is the primary hub for the region as well as the primary regional hub...
, though operational oil derricks can be seen on the outskirts of Terre Haute.
See also
- List of U.S. states by GDP (nominal)
- Great Lakes MegalopolisGreat Lakes MegalopolisThe Great Lakes Megalopolis consists of the group of North American metropolitan areas which surround the Great Lakes region mainly within the Midwestern United States, the Southern Ontario area of Canada, along with large parts of Pennsylvania, New York, and Quebec...
- Workforce regions of Indiana