MERRILLVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Northern Indiana Public Service Co. is adding more than 400 megawatts of wind and solar power to its energy portfolio in the utility’s latest step toward ending its reliance on coal.
NIPSCO announced March 22 that it had reached an agreement to buy the 204-megawatt Indiana Crossroads II Wind Farm, located in northwestern Indiana’s White County. That farm is a joint venture with EDP Renewables North America LLC and is scheduled to begin operating in 2023.
The Merrillville-based utility also said it had signed a build-and-transfer agreement in White County for the 200-megawatt Indiana Crossroads Solar Park, which will begin operating in 2022. NIPSCO said it would enter the joint venture with EDP Renewables once it’s built.
The wind and solar farms represent NIPSCO’s third and fourth joint renewable energy projects in Indiana. They follow the utility’s collaboration on the 302-megawatt Indiana Crossroads I Wind Farm, which is still under construction, and the operational 102-megawatt Rosewater Wind Farm.
The moves are part of NIPSCO’s strategy to stop burning coal to generate electricity by 2028. NIPSCO anticipates that change will save it $4 billion in operating costs, The Post-Tribune of Merrillville reported.
NIPSCO President Mike Hooper said in a statement that the utility “is dedicated to working with experienced energy developers like EDP Renewables who share our long-term vision of a cleaner, more affordable and reliable energy future.”