Southern Indiana Business Report
HUNTINGBURG – AES Indiana has submitted a filing with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission that it is seeking to acquire, construct and recover costs for the Crossvine renewable project, a solar plus battery storage project in Dubois County.
According to an AES press release, Crossvine, which will be purchased from Lightsource bp, is anticipated to bring 85 megawatts of solar capacity and 85 megawatts / 4 hours of battery power capacity to AES Indiana’s generation portfolio once complete in mid-2027.
Lightsource bp developed and permitted the project located west of the Huntingburg Regional Airport. According to information reported by the Dubois County Free Press, the project covers about 1,600 acres, with about 650 acres used for the panels.
Crossvine is anticipated to generate enough solar energy annually to supply the equivalent of approximately 14,500 homes, enabling AES Indiana to better meet customer needs and the state’s increasing power demands once complete.
“The investment in Crossvine is the next step in our decade-long energy transition that includes diverse and cleaner energy solutions for our customers,” said Brandi Davis-Handy, AES Indiana President. “How we serve our customers will continue to evolve due to factors like new technologies, the aging of our current facilities, environmental regulations and economic conditions, and Crossvine is an important part of how we’re increasing generation in our portfolio.”
Crossvine will join AES Indiana’s portfolio of renewable projects that also includes Hoosier Wind in Benton County and Hardy Hills Solar in Clinton County. The 195 MW Hardy Hills solar project became operational in May 2024 and generates 380,000 MWh annually, powering the equivalent of approximately 30,000 homes. Altogether, Hoosier Wind, Hardy Hills and Crossvine are expected to generate approximately 760,000 MWh annually from solar, enough to power the equivalent of 63,000 homes when Crossvine is operational by mid-2027.
The Crossvine project fulfills a generation need identified as part of AES Indiana’s 2022 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) and 2024 IRP Update, which includes transitioning coal-powered units to natural gas and adding wind, solar and battery capacity over the next five years as it leads Indiana’s energy transition in a way that maintains affordability, reliability and sustainability for its customers.
“Lightsource bp is proud of the successful development of the Crossvine solar and energy storage project, and confident that under AES Indiana it will deliver tangible benefits to their customers,” said Emilie Wangerman, Chief Operating Officer of Lightsource bp US. “This partnership exemplifies our organizations’ shared mission to advance a sustainable, reliable and affordable energy infrastructure for communities.”