Late last week, NIPSCO , a subsidiary of NiSource Inc., announced the first phase of its plans to transition to lower – cost renewable energy resources, with the addition of three new wind farms that will be based in Indiana and tied into NIPSCO’s electric system serving nearly 500,000 electric customers. The announcement is part of the energy provider’s “Your Energy, Your Future” initiative – a customer – centric effort focused on delivering a more affordable and sustainable energy mix. Under NIPSCO’s plans to be coal – free by 2028, the company expects to begin replacing the coal – fired generation with a combination of wind, solar and battery storage technology.
“We’re excited for the opportunity to add more home – grown renewable energy in Indiana,” said
Violet Sistovaris, NIPSCO 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.”
NIPSCO has finalized agreements with three experienced renewable energy developers – 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 with the three announced projects representing approximately 800 megawatts (MW ) of nameplate capacity. 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 – a move that would put the state among the leading renewable producers in the nation.