Southern Indiana Business Report
PETERSBURG – AES Indiana announced Wednesday that its new Petersburg Energy Center in Pike County is officially in service.
This facility marks a significant milestone in AES Indiana’s continued commitment to an all-of-the-above energy approach.
A news release from AES noted the new facility delivers customer value by adding low-cost solar generation enough to power over 100,000 homes. It also includes battery storage that helps manage peak energy demand and market volatility while also reducing long-term fuel and operating costs and providing more sustainable energy without compromising reliability.
The Petersburg Energy Center features 250 megawatts (MW) of solar generation through more than 515,000 solar panels and 180 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy storage filling a critical gap identified in AES Indiana’s 2022 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). As part of the 2022 IRP, this project was identified as essential to replacing retired Petersburg Units 1 and 2 and meeting the Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s (MISO) increased seasonal capacity requirements.
“This project helps AES Indiana maintain its commitment of reliability today and tomorrow for our customers in Central Indiana and our commitment to be a driving economic force in Pike County,” said Brandi Davis-Handy, president of AES Indiana. “Both AES Indiana and leaders in Pike County have a shared vision of accelerating the future of energy for Indiana which is why we’ve committed $1.1 billion in investments in this community from 2024 through this year.”
AES Indiana most recently brought online in Pike County the Pike County Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) which can store and deliver up to 200 MW of electricity for four hours.
“Pike County is an energy community, and we are open for business,” said Ashley Willis, executive director of the Pike County Economic Development Corporation. “AES Indiana is our largest employer and we are happy to see their continued investment and partnership in our community.”
The Petersburg Energy Center will help sustain local jobs and support the community that has helped power Central Indiana for close to 60 years. The facility’s location qualifies as an Energy Community, increasing the tax credit from 26% to 40%, which encourages continued investments in Pike County.