Indiana Michigan Power moving forward with four solar plants
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Fort Wayne-based Indiana Michigan Power expects to bring on four new solar plants by mid-2026.
The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission this week approved the company’s plans, which come as a part of a larger effort to reduce the use of coal-fueled energy production and achieve net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2045.
The proposed plants will be located in Blackford, Pulaski, DeKalb and Elkhart counties and represent an investment of more than $1 billion.
I&M’s four solar power plants were submitted to the IURC in a competitive request-for-proposals process. The plants are expected to general enough energy to power 200,000 typical homes, I&M official say.
I&M President Steve Baker said the project also brings benefits to local businesses looking to attract and maintain jobs in the area.
“These four Clean Energy Projects will diversify I&M’s energy mix, support reliability, provide environmental benefits and safeguard against fuel-cost volatility,” Baker said in a news release. “The availability of renewable energy is important to support economic development opportunities in the communities I&M serves.”
I&M’s proposed Blackford County plant at Lake Trout will power the most homes, providing 245 Megawatts of energy to 73,500 homes. The company’s Mayapple plant in Pulaski County will provide 224 Megawatts of energy to 67,200 homes.
I&M officials say the company will invest $1 billion in those plants, both of which the utility will own and operate.
The company will purchase power from the other two plants, Sculpin in DeKalb County and Elkhart County. The DeKalb County plant is expected to produce 180 Megawatts of energy for 54,000 homes and the Elkhart County plant should produce 100 Megawatts for 30,000 homes.
The four solar plants come as I&M progresses toward a goal of retiring its last coal-fueled plant in Rockport by 2028. These new solar plants join a portfolio of other I&M plants seeking to reduce carbon emissions. Those include five other solar plants, six hydro-electric plants, and the Cook Nuclear Plant in Bridgman, Michigan.
Construction is expected to begin at the Lake Trout and Mayapple solar plants in fall 2024 with power provided by spring 2026. The Elkhart County and Sculpin plants are expected to come only by the end of 2025.