Representative David Yarde (R-Garrett, District 52)

2011 Voting Records:  Representative David Yarde (R, District 52)

2010 Campaign Contributions accepted from Utility, Coal, Oil and Railroad Corporations: $2,150

http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=118748

Pro-Consumer Percentage: 0%

The following is a synopsis of how the Representative voted in the 2011 General Assembly on the bills that CAC was tracking. We consider that 80% is a passing grade for the legislators, meaning that if their "Pro-Consumer Voting Percentage" is 80% or above, they are working to protect consumers in the State House. If their percentage is below 80%, they are not working to protect consumers.

SB 251: This bill was the mother lode for the utilities this
year. It does the following:

• Defines clean energy as virtually any technology that
  produces electricity; which includes truly renewable sources like wind
  and solar, but also includes, but is not limited to, nuclear, coal
  gasification, solid waste, coal bed methane, and industrial byproducts.
• Gives the utilities all kinds of trackers, which allow the
  utilities to raise your rates when their costs go up without having to lower your
  rates when their costs go down.
• Gives eminent domain to private corporations for carbon
  dioxide pipelines
• Allows utilities to use Construction Work in Progress
  (CWIP) to charge ratepayers to uprate nuclear power plants before the uprate actually
  produces any electricity

Rep. Yarde's Vote on SB 251:

• Committee Vote: Anti-Consumer
• House Floor Vote: 10 votes - all Anti-Consumer

HB 1128: This bill was essentially the same as SB 251, except
that it did not include the eminent domain.

Rep. Yarde's Vote on SB 1128:

• Committee Vote: Anti-Consumer
• House Floor Vote: 2 votes - both Anti-Consumer

SB 71: This bill will essentially open the State of Indiana to
hydrofracking (hydraulic fracturing) coal seams for the purpose of
extracting coal bed methane, with no requirement that the operators of
these wells comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act or even allow the
public to comment on the permits or know the location of where these
operations will take place.

Rep. Yarde's Vote on SB 71: Anti-Consumer

SB 66: This bill amends the definition of "renewable energy resources" in utilities law to add low temperature, oxygen starved gasification of municipal solid waste (burning trash to make electricity).

Rep. Yarde's Vote on SB 66:

• Committee Vote: Anti-Consumer
• House Floor Vote: Anti-Consumer

2010 Voting Records: Representative David Yarde (R, District 52)

2008 Campaign Contributions accepted from Utility, Coal, Oil and Railroad Corporations: $1, 000

http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=112529

Pro-Consumer Percentage: 66%

The following is a synopsis of how the Senator voted in the 2010 General Assembly on the bills that CAC was tracking. We consider that 80% is a passing grade for the legislators, meaning that if their “Pro-Consumer Voting Percentage” is 80% or above, they are working to protect consumers in the State House. If their percentage is below 80%, they are not working to protect consumers.

SB 313: Net Metering

Status: Dead

SB 313 would expand eligible net metering customer classes to allow individuals, businesses, commercial industries, and universities to interconnect to the grid and generate their own power. SB 313 would not set a limit on the size of the system a customer could install, unless you are a residential customer or K-12 schools, in which case you remain captive to the current rule. This bill encourages renewable energy production, energy independence, and customer owned generation.

Rep. Yarde’s Vote on SB 313: Pro-Consumer

HB 1063: Energy Efficient Buildings

Status: Dead

HB 1063 requires a government building to be designed, constructed, operated, and maintained to achieve or exceed the level of energy efficiency required under certain rating systems. Buildings represent 39% of the energy, 72% of the electricity, and 55% of the natural gas in the U.S. annually. The benefits of green building are a significant cost savings for Indiana taxpayers, improved worker health and productivity, improved public and environmental health, and a huge reduction in CO2 emissions.

Rep. Yarde’s Vote on HB 1063: Anti-Consumer

HB 1094: Net Metering

Status: Dead

Currently, net metering is limited to only 10 kilowatts, and only to residential customers and K-12 schools. Authored by Rep. Ryan Dvorak (D, South Bend) this bill would expand eligible customers classes to allow individuals, businesses, commercial industries, and universities to generate their own electricity. The utility would also be required to add a credit to the customer's bill for any surplus power that is generated. This bill encourages renewable energy production, energy independence. and customer owned generation.

Rep. Yarde’s Vote on HB 1094: Pro-Consumer

2009 Voting Records: Representative David Yarde (R-Garrett, District 52)

2008 Campaign Contributions accepted from Utility, Coal, Oil, and Railroad Corporations: $1,000

http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=112529

Pro-Consumer Percentage: 50%

The following is a synopsis of how the Representative voted in the 2009 General Assembly on the bills that CAC was tracking. We consider that 80% is a passing grade for the legislators, meaning that if their “Pro-Consumer Voting Percentage” is 80% or above, they are working to protect consumers in the State House. If their percentage is below 80%, they are not working to protect consumers.

HB 1080: Sales tax exemption for home energy assistance

Status: Died in the Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee

HB 1080 would have made the sales tax exemption for low-income home energy assistance permanent. The exemption is set to expire on July 1, 2009. Households that receive home energy assistance live at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. The federal poverty level for a family of 4 is currently set at $22,050. These families receive these dollars out of need. Poor families struggle daily to provide food, shelter, clothing, and health care for themselves and family members. This daily struggle to survive is exacerbated in the winter time, as their energy costs significantly increase, trying to keep their family warm. Adding additional expense by taxing these assistance dollars is inhumane and wrong. It should also be noted that LIHEAP dollars come from the Federal Government, or taxpayers. These funds are a result of tax dollars, and there is something fundamentally wrong and unethical about assessing a State tax on Federal tax dollars.

Rep. Yarde's Vote on HB 1080: Pro-Consumer

HB 1347: Net Metering

Status: Died in the Senate Utilities & Technology Committee

HB 1347 expanded Indiana’s net metering rule to allow any utility customer, including customers of cooperatives and municipals, to connect a renewable energy system with a capacity of 5 megawatts, up from the current law of 10 kilowatts. Current law also limits the program to residential and K-12 schools only. HB 1347 would have expanded the program to all customer classes.

Rep. Yarde's Vote on HB 1347: Anti-Consumer

HB 1348: Energy conservation codes and standards

Status: Vetoed by the Governor

Authored by Rep. Ryan Dvorak (D, South Bend), and joined by co-authors Rep. Pierce and Rep. Bill Ruppel (R, N. Manchester), requires the Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission to adopt the most recent edition of the (1) International Energy Conservation Code as published by the International Code Council; or (2) American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, or Air-Conditioning Engineers Standard 90.1; for commercial structures before July 1, 2010.

Rep. Yarde's Votes on HB 1348: 2 votes, both Pro-Consumer

HB 1352: The Climate Registry

Status: Died in the Senate Energy and Environmental Affairs Committee

HB 1352 would have required the state of Indiana to become a member of and participate in the Climate Registry concerning greenhouse gas emissions reporting and reduction. This bill would have ensured Indiana’s place at the table in developing policies related to carbon dioxide air emissions. Given Indiana’s disproportionate contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, Indiana’s participation in the Climate Registry is a key to acknowledging our shortcomings and facing our challenges for the betterment of generations to come. However thanks to the influence of special interests, Indiana continues to stand in the middle of the railroad tracks, waiting to be run over by the freight train known as climate legislation.

Rep. Yarde's Vote on HB 1352: Anti-Consumer

HB 1360: Alternative energy incentives for REMCs

Status: Died in the Senate

Originally, HB 1360 intended to create an alternative energy fund for the REMCs. After the bill moved out of the House, it was assigned to the Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy committee and became a vehicle for Sen. Hershman to do the bidding of the utilities. The bill moved out of committee by a vote of 10-1. However, when the bill was scheduled for 2nd reading on the Senate floor, 15 amendments were offered, most of which were offered by CAC and AT&T. The amendments muddied the waters so much, that the bill was not called down and died.

Rep. Yarde's Vote on HB 1360: Anti-Consumer

HB 1415: Tax deduction for solar powered roof vents and fans

Status: Died in the Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee

This bill provides an individual income tax deduction of up to $5,000 for the installation of solar-powered roof vents or fans. Solar attic fans have proven to save consumers $75-$150 per year on their energy bills. Not only do these fans save consumers money, they also reduce energy by lowering cooling and heating bills and by using the power of the sun to power the systems. These roof vents and fans will help mitigate climate change, by reducing the need to burn dirty, fossil fuels. Indiana is home to one of the largest manufacturers of these fans; therefore this bill will create new, green manufacturing jobs for our State. HB 1415 will help protect our environment, our health, save consumers money, and help to create new, green jobs.

Rep. Yarde's Votes on HB 1415: 2 votes, both Pro-Consumer

HB 1620: Energy Efficient Buildings

Status: Died in the Senate Energy and Environmental Affairs Committee

HB 1620 would have required certain government buildings be designed and constructed to achieve or exceed the level of energy efficiency required under certain rating systems. Opposition to this legislation is short sighted and is effectively a mandate on taxpayers to pay more for utilities, and fails to recognize the positive impact that green building design has on worker productivity and worker health. By failing to move this bill for a second year in a row, the Indiana Senate is costing the taxpayers of Indiana millions of dollars in unnecessary utility bills, ignoring the environmental impacts of fossil fuel emissions and pollution, and undermining the economy of our State.

Rep. Yarde's Vote on HB 1620: Anti-Consumer

HB 1669: Geothermal conversion loans

Status: Effective 7-1-09

HB 1669 establishes the Geothermal Conversion Revolving Fund for the purpose of making loans to school corporations that: (1) install a geothermal heating and cooling system in a new facility; or (2) install a geothermal heating and cooling system that replaces a conventional heating and cooling system.

Rep. Yarde's Votes on HB 1669: 2 votes, both Pro-Consumer

SB 300: Net Metering

Status: Died in Conference Committee

SB 300 expanded Indiana’s net metering rule to allow a customer of an investor owned utility to connect to the grid a renewable energy system with a capacity of 100 kW or less, up from the current law of only 10 kW. Current law also limits the program to residential and K-12 schools only. SB 300 would have expanded the program to all customer classes. Net metering is currently an administrative rule of the IURC; SB 300 would have codified net metering and put it into statute. The bill was written by the Indiana Energy Association, or the investor owned utilities.

Rep. Yarde's Vote on SB 300: Anti-Consumer

SB 420: Renewable energy (Redefining “renewable energy” & Opening Indiana’s Door to Nuclear Power)

Status: Died in Conference Committee

This bill redefined “renewable energy” to include coal, amended Indiana’s terrible CWIP (construction work in progress) laws to include nuclear power plants (allowing the utilities to charge ratepayers for a nuclear power plant as it is being constructed, before it produces any electricity), and added trackers for the cost recovery of fees associated with siting, design, licensing, and permitting of the new generation facility even if the new facility is never built or placed in service.

Rep. Yarde's Vote on SB 420: Anti-Consumer

SB 423: Substitute natural gas contracts

Status: Signed into law by Governor Daniels on 3-24-09

SB 423 permits the Indiana Finance Authority to enter into contracts for the purchase and sale of substitute natural gas (SNG) from coal gasification facilities to regulated energy utilities for delivery to retail end use customers. It also requires the authority to establish the Substitute Natural Gas Account to provide funding for SNG related business.

Rep. Yarde's Vote on SB 423: Anti-Consumer