State Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford, who represents a portion of Bartholomew County, has been named to the Interim Study Committee on Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications that will meet during the summer and fall in preparation for the 2018 Indiana General Assembly.
The committee will study:
- Self-generation of electricity by school corporations
- Broadband service for rural areas in Indiana
- Construction of wind-power devices, including related health effects, public safety implications, issues of property valuation and concerns with economic development
- Rental rates and other fees for the attachment of communications service facilities on utility poles that are owned or controlled by electricity suppliers.
Study committee topics are assigned by a bipartisan legislative council made up of 16 voting members — eight from the Senate and eight from the House of Representatives.