Indiana Michigan Power to build its largest solar facility together with University of Notre Dame

Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) has proposed the creation of its largest solar generation facility to date, under a partnership with the University of Notre Dame.

That partnership could yield a facility, based in Indiana’s St. Joseph County, with a capacity of 20 megawatts, making it capable of powering around 2,700 homes. Approximately 40 percent of the facility’s generation will go to the university, which Notre Dame will use to further its own sustainability goals.

“Notre Dame is pleased to be partnering with our local energy partner Indiana Michigan Power on this significant solar energy project,” Paul Kempf, Senior Director of Utilities and Maintenance for Notre Dame, said. “The University looks forward to expanding its portfolio of renewable and recoverable energy sources and achieving the positive environmental benefits this project would provide. It is important to us to work within our own community to create such projects that have a local impact on our environment and economy.”

The project will be positioned 10 miles northeast of the University of Notre Dame if the Indiana Regulatory Commission agrees to its construction. I&M hopes to have it in operation by late next year, as a supplement to its four existing emission-free solar generation facilities.

“This large-scale solar project aligns with I&M’s push to diversify our generation fleet and to ensure a bright future for our customers and the communities we serve,” I&M President and COO Toby Thomas said. “The South Bend Solar Project would help local economic development and would give our customers an opportunity to take advantage of locally provided renewable resources.”