Renewable Energy Day at the Statehouse
INDIANAPOLIS — Hundreds of Hoosiers gathered at the Indiana Statehouse on Tuesday for Renewable Energy Day 2026, an annual day of action aimed at urging state lawmakers to prioritize affordable, homegrown energy solutions.
The rally comes as the Indiana General Assembly weighs several key pieces of legislation that could reshape how Hoosiers access power. Advocates are pushing for “energy freedom”—the right for residents and businesses to generate their own electricity through technologies like community solar and the newly proposed “plug-in” solar systems.
With utility costs emerging as a central theme of the 2026 legislative session, speakers at the rally emphasized that renewable energy is no longer a niche alternative, but a tool for economic stability.
“Thank you for making another trip to the Statehouse and informing your elected representatives what’s at stake,” State Senator Shelli Yoder (D-Bloomington) told the crowd. “Renewable energy is a partner in the goal to bring down utility rates. When every single Hoosier knows what’s at stake, we can get amazing things done. But the magic doesn’t happen without hard work—that’s why you’re here to mobilize, organize, and educate.”
Yoder, the Senate Democratic Leader, has been a vocal critic of rising costs, identifying utility bills as one of the four major “economic pressure points” facing Indiana families this year.
Advocates highlighted two specific legislative goals for 2026:
Community Energy: Allowing residents who cannot install panels on their own roofs (such as renters or those with shaded properties) to subscribe to a local solar project and receive credit on their bills.
Plug-in Solar (SB 74): A bipartisan effort to legalize small, portable solar kits that plug directly into standard household outlets. These systems, capped at 1,200 watts, offer a lower-cost entry point for families looking to offset their “baseline” energy usage, like refrigerators or home electronics.
State Senator Greg Walker (R-Columbus) voiced support for these decentralized options. “If you want to develop energy for your own rooftop, your own property, I think that’s great,” Walker said. “We ought to look for local generation and local solutions.”
Beyond bill savings, industry leaders pointed to the state’s burgeoning clean energy sector as a primary source of high-skilled jobs. Wei-Tai Kwok, Head of US Operations for Indianapolis-based Bila Solar, noted that Indiana’s manufacturing history is a perfect fit for the industry.
“The workforce here has worked in automotive, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals—those are transferable skills into our factory and our industry,” Kwok said.
As the rally concluded, participants moved into the halls of the Statehouse to meet with their representatives. Their message was clear: protect the rights of property owners to generate power and prioritize renewable investments over traditional fossil fuel projects to ensure long-term reliability and lower costs for all Hoosiers.
ABOUT RENEWABLE ENERGY DAY
Renewable Energy Day is an annual non-partisan event designed to connect Indiana residents with their elected officials to discuss the benefits of a transition to clean, renewable energy. By focusing on economic growth and energy independence, the coalition works to ensure Indiana remains a leader in the 21st-century energy economy.
