SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Indiana Michigan Power (I&M), an operating company of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), received approval from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to build and operate its largest solar generation facility in the Michiana area.
“The solar facility will allow I&M customers and the entire Michiana area to take advantage of local green resources and assist local economic development efforts to attract businesses that are interested in renewable energy options,” said Toby Thomas, I&M President and Chief Operating Officer. “I&M is transforming our generation fleet, and this project ensures a bright future for our customers and our communities we serve.”
I&M has reduced its total CO2 emissions more than 60 percent in the last decade, and more than half of I&M’s generation fleet is emission free. The new solar facility builds on I&M’s commitment to a sustainable future.
I&M will collaborate on the large-scale solar project with the University of Notre Dame. Notre Dame will promote its sustainability goals by committing to support 40 percent of the renewable attributes of the solar facility. I&M and Notre Dame will join forces to maximize educational opportunities and research benefits from the project.
"The University of Notre Dame is pleased to be working with I&M to promote this green energy facility that will support both the University's sustainability aspirations, as well as create opportunities for other entities in our community to benefit from access to green energy. We are particularly pleased to be able to participate in a project that will be here in St Joseph County and make a real impact on the University’s carbon emissions reductions," said Paul A. Kempf, Notre Dame Assistant Vice President of Utilities and Maintenance.
The solar facility will have a capacity of 20 megawatts – enough energy to power 2,700 homes annually. The facility will be located near the Indiana Toll Road and Bittersweet Road in St. Joseph County. Construction is set to start in April, and the facility is expected to be in operation in late fall 2020.
I&M currently operates four solar generation facilities. Three are in Indiana -- Marion, Mishawaka and New Carlisle -- and one in Watervliet, Michigan. The solar facilities already in operation generate nearly 15 megawatts of electricity, with enough energy to power 2,000 homes annually.
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Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) is headquartered in Fort Wayne, and its 2,370 employees serve more than 597,000 customers. More than half of its generation is emission-free, including 2,278 MW of nuclear generation in Michigan, 450 MW of purchased wind generation from Indiana, 22 MW of hydro generation in both states and approximately 15 MW of large-scale solar generation in both states. The company’s generation portfolio also includes 2,600 MW of coal-fueled generation in Indiana.
American Electric Power, based in Columbus, Ohio, is focused on building a smarter energy infrastructure and delivering new technologies and custom energy solutions to our customers. AEP’s more than 17,000 employees operate and maintain the nation’s largest electricity transmission system and more than 219,000 miles of distribution lines to efficiently deliver safe, reliable power to nearly 5.4 million regulated customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation’s largest electricity producers with approximately 32,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity, including 4,300 megawatts of renewable energy. AEP’s family of companies includes utilities AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and east Texas). AEP also owns AEP Energy, AEP Energy Partners, AEP OnSite Partners and AEP Renewables, which provide innovative competitive energy solutions nationwide.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Schnee’ Garrett
Indiana Michigan Power Communications
(574) 283-1852
smgarrett@aep.com