Indiana utility company Northern Indiana Public Service Co. LLC (NIPSCO), a subsidiary of NiSource Inc., has selected three new wind farms that will be tied into its electric system.
The announcement is part of the energy provider’s “Your Energy, Your Future” initiative, focused on delivering a more affordable and sustainable energy mix. Under NIPSCO’s plans to be coal-free by 2028, the company is replacing coal-fired generation with a combination of wind, solar and battery storage.
NIPSCO has finalized agreements with three renewable energy developers for Indiana projects: Apex Clean Energy, EDP Renewables North America LLC and NextEra Energy Resources LLC. The new wind capacity is expected to be in operation by late 2020. The three announced projects represent approximately 800 MW of nameplate capacity.
The three projects were selected following a review of bids submitted through a request for proposals (RFP) that NIPSCO ran as part of its 2018 integrated resource plan process, which concluded that wind and solar resources were shown to be lower-cost options for customers compared to other energy resources.
NIPSCO has requested the addition of these new projects in filings with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission:
- Jordan Creek – The 400 MW wind project, to be developed and constructed by NextEra Energy Resources, will be located in Benton and Warren counties near Williamsport, Ind. The project will include an estimated 160 wind turbines.
- Roaming Bison – As already announced by the developer, the 300 MW wind project, to be developed and constructed by Apex Clean Energy, will be located in Montgomery County near Waynetown, Ind. The project will include an estimated 107 turbines.
- Rosewater – The 102 MW wind project, to be developed and constructed by EDP Renewables North America, will be located in White County, Ind. The project will include an estimated 25 turbines. EDP Renewables (which will construct the wind farm) and NIPSCO entered into a joint venture and ownership agreement for the project.
Based on NIPSCO’s preferred plan, the amount of renewable energy resources NIPSCO is planning to add to its system over the next decade would more than double the amount of existing renewable energy in the state of Indiana.
NIPSCO expects to announce additional renewable projects and plans to issue a second RFP later in the year.
“We’re excited for the opportunity to add more homegrown renewable energy in Indiana,” says Violet Sistovaris, NIPSCO’s president. “In addition to the economic benefits that projects like these add, the transition we’re making in our electric generation equates to an estimated $4 billion in cost-savings for customers over the long term.”
