Indiana Michigan Power seeks proposals on 450 MW of new emission-free generation
A request for proposals (RFPs) issued by Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) last week called for around 450 MW of additional solar and wind generation resources to expand its generation fleet with more emission-free, renewable energy.
Room was left open for these resources to also potentially be combined with battery storage technology resources. This tracks with I&M’s plans to transition toward renewables and the necessary considerations of costs, regulations, reliability, and customer preferences. Bids should be received in January 2021, and I&M expects to begin utilizing any renewable resources provided through these RFPs by the end of 2023 if state regulatory commissions approve.
“The people of I&M are dedicated to serving our customers reliably and in a manner that is cost-effective, while using state-of-the-art technology and increasing our emission-free resources,” I&M President and COO Toby Thomas said. “Our customers count on us to keep the lights on 24/7 and to be their energy provider into the future. It is important to everyone at I&M that our transition to utilize more emission-free technology be done in a way that benefits our customers. Seeking additional emission-free technology makes sense for us, our customers, and the long-term growth of our service areas in Indiana and Michigan.”
Specifically, the RFPs will give I&M options for replacing power provided by the 1,300 MW generating units at the coal-fueled Rockport Plant. Its Unit 1 will be retired by the end of 2028, and its Unit 2 will retire even sooner — at least for I&M customers’ use — at the end of 2022. Additionally, the company seeks to reduce its carbon footprint by 70 percent by 2030. As of last year, two-thirds of its energy came from emission-free resources.
