Governor headed to Egypt for UN Climate Change conference
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Governor Holcomb will attend the United Nations’ Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Egypt next week, where he’ll talk about Indiana’s work with renewable energy infrastructure — days after breaking ground on a second phase of the controversial Mammoth Solar Farm project in northwestern Indiana.
“I’ll be able to highlight what we’re doing to make a difference in our little patch in our property here in America and hopefully, others can learn from it,” he told reporters after a Tuesday event.
Holcomb said the United Kingdom’s ambassador originally invited him to the conference before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The invitation was re-extended, he said, and his office conferred with Egyptian authorities.
The governor said Hoosiers have rolled out a number of innovations across a variety of sectors, including on the agricultural and industrial fronts. And he emphasized maintaining a balanced, resilient mix of economic activities and energy sources.
“We’re producing that concrete, we’re producing that steel, we’re producing those products that are literally building other economies. And we’re doing it in a way where we’re not reliant on any one source,” he said.
Energy security and stability are expected to be a central theme in Holcomb’s Nov. 10 keynote address, co-hosted by Georgetown University and the Climate Registry. This is the first time a governor of Indiana has participated in a UN COP event, and Holcomb will be the only U.S. Midwest governor in attendance this year, a news release said.
On Nov. 11, the governor will deliver a speech discussing Indiana’s role in building the future of electric vehicles.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Gov. Holcomb will appear on this weekend’s edition of Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick to discuss his upcoming trip to Egypt where he’ll promote Indiana’s work on a range of renewable energy initiatives.
Business trip
Also called COP27, the event runs November 6-18. Holcomb and Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers will arrive on the sixth and return Nov, 12. While there he will also meet with business prospects, industry leaders and workforce development partners in Cairo.
Holcomb noted when he recently went to Germany how the country relies on few sources of energy. The country has entered a crippling energy crisis, triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, leaving it scrambling to fill a projected winter energy shortfall.
“What we sought to do is to have sources, plural, that we can draw upon — knowing that no one can own the sun or the wind, and those are just two options,” Holcomb said. “We’ll go into further depth when I present on all the accomplishments we’ve made to date, but there are certainly others out there.”
“We want to be a leader right here in the heart of the heartland and we think we’ve got a number of examples illustrating just that,” he added.
Private donations to the Indiana Economic Development Foundation will cover the costs of the state delegation.
Niki Kelly contributed to this report.
The Indiana Capital Chronicle is an independent, not-for-profit news organization that covers state government, policy and elections.