Indianapolis Power & Light completes 671-megawatt natural gas plant

Indianapolis Power & Light (IPL) began commercial operations at its new, 671-megawatt combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) natural gas plant in Martinsville, Indiana, on April 28.

The Eagle Valley Generating Station is connected to two interstate natural gas pipelines and is capable of accessing natural gas from the country’s largest natural-gas producing basins. Compared to coal- and oil-fired plants, the new natural gas plant reduces the rate of key emissions by 98 percent.

“This is an important investment for our customers and community as the plant will have a lower rate of emissions than the coal units it replaces and is the most reasonable cost option for our customers,” Craig Jackson, president and CEO of IPL, said. “Our future is focused on accelerating cleaner, smarter and affordable options for our customers and we are proud of the efforts we’ve made over the last few years to significantly reduce our dependence on coal and focus toward a more balanced energy mix.”

The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission approved the $600 million natural gas plant in 2014. By constructing the Eagle Valley Generating Station and converting coal-fired units at Harding Street Station to natural gas in 2016, IPL has made natural gas its largest source of generating capacity.