As the demand for electricity continues to rise, Indiana’s two not-for-profit electric generation and transmission (G&T) cooperatives remain focused on providing reliable, affordable energy to their members and the rural and suburban communities they serve. Wabash Valley Power Alliance (WVPA) and Hoosier Energy today finalized a joint purchase of St. Joseph Energy Center. The combined cycle natural gas plant is located in New Carlisle, Indiana, approximately 15 miles west of South Bend.
“Our job is to keep the lights on for the families and businesses that rely on us,” said Jeff Conrad, President and CEO of Wabash Valley Power Alliance. “As co-ops, our business model allows us to move quickly when the opportunity is right. At a time when new generation is needed and takes years to build, we could not pass up the opportunity to purchase an existing asset.”
As part of the purchase agreement, WVPA and Hoosier Energy will each take a 50% stake in the facility and share operation and maintenance responsibilities.
“St. Joseph Energy Center is an ideal fit for Hoosier Energy’s Long Range Resource Plan, which prioritizes reliability and resource adequacy, affordability, sustainability and resource diversity,” said Donna Walker, President and CEO of Hoosier Energy. “The plant has a history of high-level operational performance and will be a dependable asset for our members.”
The 720-megawatt (MW) plant sits on a 165-acre campus and began generating power in 2018. The state-of-the-art facility is equipped with two Siemens gas turbines, a steam turbine and three air-cooled generators. The exhaust heat from the gas turbines is used to power the steam turbine which greatly improves the plant’s overall thermal efficiency.
Economic development activity in Indiana has been robust recently, with several of the world’s largest companies announcing major investments requiring significant amounts of energy. With the addition of St. Joseph Energy Center, WVPA and Hoosier continue to be well positioned to serve existing member-consumers while supporting future economic growth.
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About Wabash Valley Power Alliance
Wabash Valley Power Alliance is a not-for-profit electric generation and transmission (G&T) cooperative based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The G&T serves 23 electric distribution cooperatives in three states – Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. Collectively, those cooperatives power over 330,000 homes, farms, schools and businesses and have done so for 60 years.
About Hoosier Energy
Hoosier Energy, founded in 1949, is a generation and transmission cooperative (G&T) headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana. The G&T provides electric power and services to 17-member distribution cooperatives in central and southern Indiana and southeastern Illinois serving more than 700,000 consumers. We are a community-focused organization that works to efficiently deliver affordable, reliable and safe energy.
Media Contacts:
Vicki Duncan Gardner, Wabash Valley Power, 317.363.5931/ v_gardner@wvpa.com
Chad Mertz, Hoosier Energy, 619.313.7912/ cmertz@HEPN.com