Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC (NIPSCO), a subsidiary of NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI), today announced that its first two Indiana-based wind projects – Rosewater Wind and Jordan Creek Wind – are online and operating, producing more cost-effective, cleaner energy for its customers across Indiana.
“We are excited to welcome these wind assets to our generating portfolio,” said Mike Hooper, NIPSCO President. “These completed projects are the first concrete step of our innovative ‘Your Energy, Your Future’ plan coming to fruition, bringing lower-cost, cleaner and sustainable energy to our customers today and into the future.”
Rosewater Wind Farm is a 102 megawatt (MW) facility located in White County, Ind. EDP Renewables North America LLC developed and constructed the project. The wind farm is owned and operated by a joint venture consisting of NIPSCO, the developer of the facility and a tax equity investor.
“White County has hosted wind farms for more than a decade, and we’re happy to see the latest project, NIPSCO’s Rosewater Wind Farm, fully constructed and generating clean energy for my fellow Hoosiers,” said Steve Burton, White County Commissioner. “The wind farms have provided reliable investments and a strong tax base for our county, and the economic boost from Rosewater Wind Farm was a bright spot during an extremely challenging year.”
The Rosewater Wind Farm was funded through tax equity investing. By using a tax equity investor that is currently able to utilize the tax benefits more efficiently, NIPSCO is able to provide electricity to customers at a lower cost versus traditional ownership. This use of a tax equity structure is a first in Indiana and one of the earliest examples of a utility engaging in such a structure in the country.
“Our partnership with NIPSCO to build the Rosewater Wind Farm makes economic sense, it makes environmental sense, and it is the future of energy in America,” said Miguel Prado, CEO, at EDP Renewables North America. “NIPSCO’s commitment to saving customers money by shifting away from conventional generation and rapidly expanding renewable energy capacity is setting an example for other utilities across Indiana and beyond.”
The Jordan Creek Wind Energy Center is a 400 MW wind farm located in Benton and Warren counties, near Williamsport, Ind. A subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, built the facility and will be the owner and operator. The energy will serve NIPSCO customers under a 20-year power purchase agreement.
“The Jordan Creek Wind Energy Center will provide millions of dollars in additional revenue to Warren and Benton counties and will bring homegrown, renewable energy to Indiana for years to come,” said John Ketchum, president and CEO of NextEra Energy Resources, the world’s largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and the sun. “We are pleased to work with NIPSCO on this wind project, and we look forward to continue working with them to bring several solar and battery storage projects to the Hoosier state in 2022 and 2023.”
The completed wind 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).
The company plans to be 100 percent 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.
Eight additional renewable projects are set to be included in NIPSCO’s generating portfolio, which include a combination of similar joint venture agreements and power purchase agreements. One project is currently in the construction phase, while the rest are expected to begin construction in the next year or two.
Current Project Profile List
These projects were selected following a comprehensive review of bids submitted through the all-source RFP process that NIPSCO conducted in 2018 and again in late 2019 – which continues to affirm the conclusions of the 2018 NIPSCO IRP, that wind and solar resources were shown to be lower-cost options for customers compared to other energy resource options. Projects are listed with projected in-service dates.
- Rosewater Wind Farm – 102 MW of wind, located in White County, Ind. (Complete)
- Jordan Creek Wind – 400 MW of wind, located in Benton and Warren counties, Ind. (Complete)
- Indiana Crossroads Wind Farm – 300 MW of wind, located in White County, Ind. (2021)
- Dunns Bridge Solar I – 265 MW of solar, located in Jasper County, Ind. (2022)
- Brickyard Solar – 200 MW of solar, located in Boone County, Ind. (2022)
- Greensboro Solar – 100 MW of solar and 30 MW of battery storage, located in Henry County, Ind. (2022)
- Green River Solar – 200 MW of solar, located in Breckinridge and Meade counties, Ky. (2023)
- Dunns Bridge Solar II – 435 MW of solar and 75 MW of battery storage, located in Jasper County, Ind. (2023)
- Cavalry Solar – 200 MW of solar and 60 MW of battery storage, located in White County, Ind. (2023)
- Gibson Solar – 280 MW of solar, located in Gibson County, Ind. (2023)
NIPSCO expects to announce additional renewable projects in the coming months. Learn about NIPSCO’s “Your Energy, Your Future” plans and the latest information at NIPSCO.com/future.
