The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) today expressed support for a bill passed by the Indiana House of Representatives, containing the state’s first voluntary Clean Energy Portfolio Standard (CPS). The CPS would set a voluntary goal for 10 percent of Indiana’s electric generation to come from clean energy resources by 2025.

Included in the voluntary CPS of SB 251 is an amendment offered by State Representative David Frizzell, (R-Indianapolis), ensuring that at least half of the energy produced by Indiana utilities participating in the 10% voluntary CPS will be met with clean energy resources from within Indiana. The amendment passed unanimously by a voice vote on Tuesday, April 21.

“I applaud the Indiana House, under the leadership of Speaker Brian Bosma and Representative Frizzell, for their efforts on SB 251,” said AWEA CEO Denise Bode. “This action is about creating affordable, homegrown energy for Indiana.  With SB 251, the Indiana House has set in motion the ability to create thousands of wind industry jobs for Hoosiers—life-long careers in manufacturing, construction, operations and maintenance.”

The House passed the amended bill with a bipartisan vote of 62-34. The amended bill, which originated in the Senate, now moves back to that chamber for a vote.  The Indiana General Assembly must complete this year’s legislative session by April 29. 

AWEA is the national trade association of America’s wind industry, with more than 2,500 member companies, including global leaders in wind power and energy development, wind turbine manufacturing, component and service suppliers, and the world’s largest wind power trade show. AWEA is the voice of wind energy in the U.S., promoting renewable energy to power a cleaner, stronger America. Look up information on wind energy at the AWEA web site. Find insight on industry issues at AWEA’s blog, Into the Wind. Join AWEA on Facebook. Follow AWEA on Twitter.

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BIDDEFORD, Maine (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration says one person has died after a small plane crashed into a house in Maine and burst into flames.

FAA spokeswoman Arlene Salac (SAL’–ak) says the person killed was inside the plane, but there are no further details. Maine Department of Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland says the victim is believed to be the pilot.

The victim’s name hasn’t been released.

Maine Assistant Fire Marshal Joe Thomas says the twin–engine Cessna was headed to Biddeford Municipal Airport when it crashed into a house nearby after 6 p.m. Sunday.

McCausland says officials received initial reports that one person inside the house suffered minor injuries, but they’ve since confirmed that no one was home at the time of the crash.

There’s no immediate word on what caused the crash.

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BEIJING (AP) — Beijing police on Sunday detained at least a dozen worshippers from a Christian house church who were trying to hold services in a public space after they were evicted from their usual place of worship.

Leaders of the unregistered Shouwang house church had told parishioners to gather at an open–air venue in Beijing for Sunday morning services, but police, apparently alerted to their plans, taped off the area and took away people who showed up to take part.

About a dozen people were escorted by police onto an empty city bus and driven away.

Christians in China are required to worship in state–run churches, but house churches are becoming increasingly popular, despite being technically illegal and subject to police harassment.

Shouwang had been holding services in a Beijing restaurant until last week, when they were evicted from that venue.

One parishioner who evaded police told The Associated Press (News – Alert) that no one made it to the open–air mezzanine where services were to take place. The man would give only his English name, Kane, for fear of police reprisals.

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LONDON (AP) — The U.K.’s biggest mortgage lender says that average house prices rose by 0.1 percent in March compared to February.

Halifax, a unit of Lloyds Banking Group, said Wednesday that despite the modest monthly increase, prices were 2.9 percent lower than a year earlier. That was the biggest year–on–year decline since October 2009.

Nationwide Building Society, the nation’s third–largest mortgage lender, recently reported that average prices rose 0.5 percent between February and March for a 0.1 percent year–on–year gain.

The two banks’ reports are based on their own lending.

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CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — Police investigating an arson fire at the Islamic center where the Somali–born suspect in a Portland mass killing plot sometimes worshipped have searched a neighboring home and taken cell samples from the man who lives there, the FBI said Friday.

Authorities have been looking into whether the blaze at Corvallis’ Salman Alfarisi Islamic Center was in retaliation for the alleged plot at Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square.

The man was identified in court documents as Cody Crawford, 24. No one has yet been arrested, according to the FBI.

An affidavit says the house was searched Monday, a day after someone tried to burn the center. The document says Crawford and his mother live 200 feet from it. No one came to the door Friday night when an Associated Press (News – Alert) reporter knocked.

In the bomb plot, Mohamed Osman Mohamud, 19, has pleaded not guilty to attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction during the annual lighting of the Portland’s Christmas tree.

The FBI said it arrested Mohamud after a sting operation that featured six 55–gallon drums rigged to look like a bomb and placed in a van across the street from the square.

The affidavit says police at the house Monday took computer and photo gear, propane bottles and a propane burner tip, a cigarette lighter, two plastic bottles, a gasoline can, a small wire with a burned fiber and a white powdery substance.

Police also took swabs from Crawford’s from his hands on Monday and his mouth on Tuesday, but the records did not explain why.

The affidavit says an officer asked Crawford why someone might burn the mosque. “Because they don’t like Muslims,” he’s quoted as saying.

Court documents show Crawford’s arrest record includes accusations of criminal mischief, assault and spitting food and throwing urine at a deputy while in jail.

The court affidavit said police found a flashlight at the fire early Sunday at the Islamic center, and when they canvassed the neighborhood early Sunday afternoon, Crawford told them his flashlight had been stolen from the front porch the night before.

When police followed up a few hours later, they reported that Crawford smelled of alcohol, denied he’d been drinking but later admitted to having one beer that evening.

A neighbor of Crawford, Muhammad Alferhan, said Cody knew he was Muslim but never made any derogatory remarks about Alferhan’s faith.

“We’re still going to give him respect because he’s still in the neighborhood, still in his house,” Alferhan, who worships at the mosque that was firebombed, told the AP.

According to the affidavit, Crawford sometimes mowed Alferhan’s lawn.

Crawford also mowed the lawn of another neighbor, Darla Saling.

“He just doesn’t seem like the type” to burn a mosque, she said. “He doesn’t seem angry about anything or have an ax to grind.”

She said Crawford has a preschool–age son she would see playing in the yard.

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