NIPSCO to develop three Solar projects totaling 900 MW in USA

Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC, a unit of NiSource Inc, is set to build three solar photovoltaic facilities with a combined capacity of 900 MW in Indiana. The 265 MW Dunns Bridge Solar I and 435 MW Dunns Bridge Solar II facility will be developed in Jasper County, Indiana. The Dunns Bridge Solar II project will be coupled with a 75 MW battery storage unit. The 200 MW Cavalry solar facility with 60 MW of battery storage will be located in White County.

NIPSCO has finalized three build transfer agreements with subsidiaries of NextEra Energy Resources LLC. The solar projects are expected to begin construction in 2022 and expected to be operational in 2022 and 2023.

NextEra Energy Resources will construct the projects and NIPSCO will enter into joint ventures to own, and operate and maintain some facets of these assets once construction is complete.

The investment in this new generation will bring economic benefits to the state of Indiana including both construction and long-term operating and maintenance jobs, along with enhancing the county tax base. 

The Indiana-based Dunns Bridge I, Dunns Bridge II and Cavalry solar projects were selected through a Request for Proposal (RFP) solicitation that NIPSCO ran as part of its “Your Energy, Your Future” generation transition, which was announced in its 2018 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). 

Adding these three solar projects is the next step in bringing NIPSCO’s customer-centric “Your Energy, Your Future” plan to life. The company plans to be coal-free by 2028 adding a combination of cleaner energy sources to its existing portfolio, which includes natural gas and hydroelectric generation. This generation transition helps deliver a more affordable, reliable and sustainable energy mix for NIPSCO customers for years to come – saving customers $4 billion over the long term. 

Five renewable projects have previously been announced by NIPSCO, which include a combination of similar joint venture agreements and purchased power agreements. Two of the wind projects are near completion, including the Jordan Creek Wind Energy Center, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources. NIPSCO will purchase the power directly from Jordan Creek Wind.