Indiana Michigan Power Looking to Buy Wind Energy

Fort Wayne-based Indiana Michigan Power is looking to increase its inventory of wind energy.

The utility has issued a Request for Proposals for a long-term lease to purchase up to 200 megawatts for use by its customers. I&M currently purchases a total of 250 megawatts from two wind farms.

Indiana Michigan Power (I&M), an operating unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to purchase up to 200 megawatts of wind energy for use by its customers. The RFP seeks proposals from eligible projects and bidders in I&M’s service territory for a long-term 20 year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). To be eligible, construction of the new wind project(s) must commence during 2013 and be operational by the end of 2014.

“I&M’s request for new wind energy will help I&M continue to meet its goal of a diverse blend of generating resources, which currently includes hydro, nuclear, coal and wind” says Paul Chodak, President and COO of I&M. “The wind procured under this RFP will also support economic development in communities we serve and our commitment to environmental stewardship and affordable electricity.”

I&M currently purchases a total of 250 megawatts of wind power from the Fowler Ridge Wind Farm located in Benton and Tippecanoe Counties, Indiana and the Wildcat Wind Farm in Madison and Tipton County, Indiana under PPAs approved by the Indiana and Michigan regulatory commissions.

Potential bidders are required to pre-qualify before submitting a proposal to this RFP. Pre-Qualification forms are due on or before March 11, 2013 with final bids due by April 8, 2013. A copy of the RFP is available at http://www.indianamichiganpower.com/go/rfp, and questions about the qualification process may be sent by e-mail to I&MWindEnergyRFP2013@aep.com

Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) is headquartered in Fort Wayne, and its 2,500 employees serve more than 582,000 customers. It operates 3,595 MW of coal-fired generation in Indiana, 2,110 MW of nuclear generation in Michigan and 22 MW of hydro generation in both states. The company also provides its customers 250 MW of purchased wind generation.

I&M is a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity to more than 5 million customers in 11 states. AEP ranks among the nation