NIPSCO Seeks Approval of 300 Megawatt Wind Farm as Part of Long-Term Plan to Phase Out Coal

The Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC asked the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to authorize the acquisition of a 302-megawatt wind farm from EDP Renewables North America LLC through a joint venture, according to an Oct. 22 filing. The Indiana Crossroads Wind Farm, which will be located in White County, was selected through a request for proposals that NIPSCO conducted as part of its 2018 integrated resource plan. The project is expected to become operational in 2021.

EDP Renewables North America, a subsidiary of EDP Renewables SA, is developing the project through a special purpose entity known as Indiana Crossroads Wind Farm LLC.  The joint venture, which will own and operate the facility, consists of three members namely, NIPSCO, the developer, and the tax equity partner or the financial investor. NIPSCO will acquire the project through the joint venture and a build-transfer agreement.

The companies recently received approval to build the 102-megawatt Rosewater wind farm in White County, also a result of a build-and-transfer agreement. That project is expected to start operations in 2020.

The utility’s 2018 resource plan, which charts a path to meet customer electric needs over the next 20 years, proposes to close the 1,780-megawatt R.M. Schahfer Generating Station in Wheatfield, Indiana  by 2023 and 469-megawatt Michigan City Generating station in Michigan City by 2028. The changes are expected to result in over $4 billion in cost savings for customers over the long term and lower carbon emissions by more than 90 percent by 2028.

NIPSCO is a subsidiary of NiSource Inc.