Energy company Vectren is asking the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission for permission to replace coal units in southern Indiana with a new natural gas plant.  As Indiana Public Broadcasting’s Isaiah Seibert reports, those attending a Wednesday evening public hearing on the plan were not shy about expressing their views.

Vectren wants to build a nearly $800 million natural gas plant in Posey County.  It would replace four coal units.  A fifth coal unit would be updated for an additional $95 million. The company would recoup the costs through higher rates.

Read More: Vectren Wants A Natural Gas Plant, Utility Watchdog Says It Doesn’t Need It

Many people at the hearing spoke against the plans.

An unidentified man was escorted out of the auditorium after he rushed the podium.

Wendy Bredhold with the Sierra Club calls the move by Vectren a “ratepayer rebellion.”

“I don’t think it’s particulary productive to rush the stage,” she says. “But I think that when you hear from people and people speaking on behalf of those who are really struggling…these are things that are fraught with emotion.”

Some did support the company, including the president of the Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana.  The organization receives some funding from Vectren.

No decision was made at the hearing. That’ll come in a few months.