ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. – Construction of Indiana Michigan Power’s St. Joseph Solar Farm, in partnership with the University of Notre Dame, is visually advancing. Crews are installing more than 20 megawatts (MW) of advanced thin film solar panels made by U.S.-based First Solar, Inc., allowing the facility to generate clean energy at the highest level for customers and the community.
White Construction employees, with the support of I&M employees, are installing 57,720 of First Solar’s Series 6 panels at the St. Joseph Solar Farm. The industry-leading solar panels will track the sun from east to west during the day and feature an anti-reflective coating, which will allow the plant to optimize energy generation. The panels are also able to withstand even the most severe weather elements, including hail.
Installation is expected to be finished at the end of November, weather permitting.
The St. Joseph Solar Farm, located in the area of Bittersweet and Cleveland Roads in St. Joseph County, will be operational in Spring 2021. It will be I&M’s fifth and largest solar facility – generating 20 MW of energy, enough to power 2,700 homes annually.
I&M will work in partnership with the University of Notre Dame on the St. Joseph Solar Farm. Notre Dame is committing to support 40 percent of the renewable attributes of the facility to uphold its sustainability goals. I&M and Notre Dame will collaborate to capitalize on educational opportunities and research benefits.
The facility serves as a flagship for sought-after green technology and growth in the Michiana area providing a long-term sustainable future for our customers and businesses.
I&M customers can voluntarily put solar and wind power to work in their home or business at a reduced cost with the IM Green program. With newly lowered costs, customers in both Indiana and Michigan can support green energy for less than 1 cent per kilowatt hour per month.
Typical residential customers in either state can attribute a portion of their energy use to wind and solar power generated in Indiana and Michigan for less than $1 a month, or attribute 100% of the energy used in their homes for less than $10.
I&M encourages businesses and communities to contact us to find solutions to customize green energy projects that suit your needs.
To learn more or participate, please visit IndianaMichiganPower.com/IMGreen
For more information on construction of the St. Joseph Solar Farm please visit IndianaMichiganPower.com/StJosephSolar.
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Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) is headquartered in Fort Wayne, and its approximately 2,100 employees serve more than 599,000 customers. More than two-thirds of its energy delivered in 2019 was emission-free. I&M has at its availability various sources of generation including 2,278 MW of nuclear generation in Michigan, 450 MW of purchased wind generation from Indiana, more than 22 MW of hydro generation in both states and approximately 15 MW of large-scale solar generation in both states. The company’s generation portfolio also includes 2,620 MW of coal-fueled generation in Indiana.
American Electric Power, based in Columbus, Ohio, is focused on building a smarter energy infrastructure and delivering new technologies and custom energy solutions to our customers. AEP’s more than 17,000 employees operate and maintain the nation’s largest electricity transmission system and more than 219,000 miles of distribution lines to efficiently deliver safe, reliable power to nearly 5.4 million regulated customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation’s largest electricity producers with approximately 32,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity, including 4,300 megawatts of renewable energy. AEP’s family of companies includes utilities AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and east Texas). AEP also owns AEP Energy, AEP Energy Partners, AEP OnSite Partners and AEP Renewables, which provide innovative competitive energy solutions nationwide.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Schnee’ Garrett
Indiana Michigan Power Communications
(574) 218-5987
smgarrett@aep.com