NIPSCO Opens RFPs to Meet Future Electric Needs
(photo courtesy of NIPSCO)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowMerrillville-based Northern Indiana Public Service Co. LLC has announced the opening of its next round of Requests for Proposals to meet the future electric needs. The RFP is open through June 30.
Specifically, NIPSCO is requesting proposals in three target areas: wind resources and wind paired with storage, solar resources and solar paired with storage, and thermal, standalone storage, emerging technologies and other capacity resources
The company says the RFP is part of its 2021 Integrated Resource Plan, a regulatory process used to analyze and outline how electric utilities plan to serve customers’ energy needs in the future. The process includes a public forum involving participation and input from customers, consumer representatives, environmental organizations and other stakeholders that will extend through October, when the plan will be submitted to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.
“While working toward our Your Energy, Your Future generation transition, it’s important for us to consider all energy source options, as we look to fulfill our energy needs in 2028 and beyond – this RFP helps us learn what that future will look like,” said Mike Hooper, NIPSCO president. “Following the same process we underwent in 2018, the concrete data and understanding the landscape of actionable projects we gather through the RFP, along with a diverse set of stakeholder voices engaged throughout the IRP process, will ensure NIPSCO delivers the best plan for our customers and the communities we serve.”
NIPSCO says it plans to be coal-free by 2028 by adding cleaner energy sources to its existing portfolio of natural gas and hydroelectric generation. NIPSCO’s generation transition is intended to provide a more affordable, reliable and sustainable energy mix for NIPSCO customers for years to come, saving customers $4 billion over the long term.
The anticipated range across all target areas is 400 to 650 megawatts of unforced capacity.
