Indiana Michigan Power Asks For 1,300 Megawatts Of Solar, Wind And Solar

Indiana Michigan Power (IM), an American Electric Power Company (AEP), has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a facility generating approximately 800 MW of wind and 500 MW of solar.

IM's tender offers private sector developers the opportunity to propose the best and most cost-effective projects to add significant renewable energy to IM's diverse generating set. IM currently operates five solar farms and purchases power from four Indiana wind farms. In 2021, more than 80 percent of the energy I and M produced is emission-free.

The resources sought in this RFP are consistent with the momentum IM provides for the Next Tomorrow program. Powering Next Tomorrow is described in IM's comprehensive resource plan, which is submitted to the state utility regulatory boards of Indiana and Michigan in early 2022. IM expects some new renewables to come online as early as the end of 2024, and the full 1,300 MW of renewables to come online as early as the end of 2025.

"This RFP is designed to provide qualified developers the opportunity to propose wind and solar projects that can serve Indiana-Michigan power customers," said Dave Lucas, IM's vice president of regulation and finance. These new resources will combine with IM's existing generation to provide a more diverse and flexible generation mix that will stabilize energy costs over time, stimulate economic growth, reduce emissions, and take advantage of new technologies."

Indiana Michigan Power's RFP is open and non-discriminatory, and bidders have the opportunity to submit proposals that include battery storage, emerging technologies and other resources to complement the portfolio and provide optimal performance and economics.

IM tends to provide economic benefits to Indiana and/or Michigan and encourages projects that use local resources where feasible. The RFP also calls on successful bidders to use reasonable efforts to utilize small and diverse suppliers as engineering subcontractors.

The RFP calls for solar projects in Indiana and/or Michigan, while wind projects -- which require a lot of land -- can be carried out in those states, as well as in Illinois or Ohio.

Bidding deadline is April 21, 2022. IM plans to sign contracts with successful developers by the end of 2022. Selected resources will be submitted to Indiana and Michigan's state regulatory boards for approval.

IM has engaged Charles River Associates to act as an independent monitor of the RFP and to incorporate input from groups representing clients and other stakeholders into the competitive procurement process.