Duke Hydro Station Upgrades Approved

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The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission has approved plans to upgrade and modernize Plainfield-based Duke Energy Indiana’s Markland Hydro Station near Florence. The $152 million project received approval following a settlement agreement between Duke and the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor.

Duke Energy says the station’s three hydroelectric generators, turbines and related equipment will receive upgrades one at a time, beginning in 2017. The equipment has been in service for nearly 50 years and the utility says the project will provide greater energy output and improved reliability.

"The agreement that received Commission approval in this case is the result of good-faith negotiations between the OUCC and Duke Energy," said Indiana Utility Consumer Counselor David Stippler. "The order ensures that Duke Energy’s customers will continue to benefit from this renewable energy source that has served them dependably for many years, while doing so at a reasonable cost."

The project is expected to take about four years to complete. Duke says, when finished, the station’s energy output will increase about 10 percent.