$38 million solar panel project by I&M could power up to 2,500 homes annually

“I&M constantly looks at emerging technologies and our customers’ evolving needs, and now is the right time to move forward with solar power,” Paul Chodak III, president and chief operating officer of I&M, said in a news release.

I&M already utilizes nuclear, wind and hydroelectric power. The latest project, if approved, would take advantage of the sun to create a combined generation capacity of 16 megawatts, the energy equivalent of powering 2,500 homes per year.

“This project will be the largest utility-owned solar project in the state of Indiana,” Brian Bergsma, manager of state governmental affairs for I&M, said Tuesday. “We look forward to providing yet another clean power alternative.”

The project seems to be coming at an appropriate time, as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently proposed a rule for power plants nationwide to cut carbon emissions by an average of 30 percent by 2030, based on 2005 levels.