ENERGIZING SITE SELECTION
comparative site-specific cost analyses and investigates the feasibility of specific sites. In the logistics field, Hill says, “location, location, location” boils down to “access, access, access—then operating cost.” Some long-established sites and services stand ready to help in that analysis, and electrify your search for the ideal location.
Hoosier Energy: POWER TO SUCCEED
Eager to help companies find their sweet spot amid the galaxy of logistics stars in Hoosier Country is Hoosier Energy, an electric generation and transmission (G&T) cooperative based in Bloomington, Indiana. Owned by 18 Rural Electric Member Cooperatives (REMCs), Hoosier Energy serves 760,000 member consumers in 59 Indiana counties in central and southern Indiana and southeast Illinois. The region is crisscrossed by five interstate highways (I-70, I-64, I-65, I-69, I-74) with direct access to the FedEx hub in Indianapolis and the UPS hub in Louisville. The territory also includes extensive railroad transportation options and access to multiple inland ports. “The Hoosier Energy Economic Development Team works with individual companies to develop custom solutions to meet their current and future electric needs should they be facility or transportation-related,” says Hoosier Energy Economic Development Manager Jeremy Sowders, who is a certified economic developer (CEcD). The economic development team works with and supports state, regional, and local economic development organizations to identify and develop new potential sites near logistics assets. In addition, Hoosier Energy assists companies in their exploration of power- related methods to economize and improve their operations, such as the use of electric vehicles (EVs). “As EVs become increasingly important, we work with the consumer
Hoosier Energy, an electric generation and transmission cooperative based in Bloomington, Indiana, works with companies to develop custom solutions to meet their electric needs, including facility- and transportation-related requirements.
to identify the most appropriate way for them to meet their transportation goals,” Sowders says. “As a nonprofit cooperative, our rate structures allow us flexibility to quickly and efficiently make decisions related to large projects with tight timelines,” Sowders adds. “This flexibility includes developing special contracts for specific projects that meet a company’s corporate carbon goals, including providing up to 100% of their energy needs through renewable resources.” MEETING EVOLVING NEEDS Together with member systems, Hoosier Energy provides reliable and affordable energy and member- driven services to meet evolving and different needs safely and sustainably, guided by cooperative principles that include democratic member control and commitment to environmental and community concerns. “As part of Hoosier Energy’s long- range resource plan, we are going through a major power production transition with the proposed sale of our 1,000-megawatt coal-fired Merom Generating Station in 2022,” Sowders says. “Upon completion, this will dramatically change our energy portfolio and decrease our carbon footprint by shifting toward more renewable energy
resources, purchased power, and a variety of natural gas generation,” he says. The organization’s 2021 annual report included an environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) update. ESG is a framework designed to be integrated into an organization’s strategy. It creates enterprise value by expanding organizational objectives to include identifying, assessing, and managing sustainability-related risks and opportunities for all stakeholders and the environment. “We work every day to make a better life for our member communities,” Sowders says. “As the energy transition evolves, we will continue to seek innovative ways to provide economical, reliable, and socially responsible electricity that meets the energy needs of end consumers.” CLX Logistics: TAKING A WORLDVIEW CLX Logistics has a truly global perspective on great logistics sites and services. “We ship all over the world and we import from all over the world,” says Stephen Hamilton, Jr., vice president of ChemLogix Global, a subsidiary of CLX Logistics. CLX is a global third-party logistics (3PL) and fourth-party logistics (4PL) provider of chemical transportation
46 Inbound Logistics • October 2022
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