CONVERTING INDIANA UTILITY FOSSIL FUEL USAGE TO SOLAR ENERGY TO REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS

Indiana is currently ranked eighth in total CO2 emissions and eleventh in energy consumed per capita (Indiana Solar, n.d.) with only 0.56% from solar energy (U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA – Independent Statistics and Analysis, n.d.). Indiana estimates that 84% of all electricity is from coal power plants and will exhaust resources by 2153 (Dillon, 2016). The problem was measured by quantitatively comparing Indiana households to lower 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of energy sources to solar energy. Producing and deploying solar energy in Indiana is linked to the NAE Grand Challenge of Developing Carbon Sequestration Methods (National Academy of Engineering, 2019). The data collected provided a path to homeowners to get a six or seven year return on investment depending on the supplementation. The return on investment along with the reduced carbon emissions provided proves to be beneficial. Utilizing additional research and commitment from government officials, Indiana can be a major contributor in renewable energy.