Northern Indiana Public Service Co. announced that it will demolish its Dean H. Mitchell power plant on Lake Michigan and conduct an environmental cleanup.

NIPSCO will spend $18 million and two years demolishing the Gary, Ind., coal plant, built in 1955 and taken offline in late 2001. The company said it plans to work with city officials to develop the site.

“This is a positive step forward for the community, our customers and the environment as we clear the path for new investments and opportunities for the future,” NIPSCO Executive Vice President Violet Sistovaris said in a statement.

More: Post-Tribune

Consumers Opens Solar Plant at Mich. Campus

Consumers Energy’s new 8.5-acre solar array located in Western Michigan University’s Business Technology and Research Park has begun generating power.

The 1-MW solar plant is Consumers’ second large-scale project in Michigan. The first was a 3-MW solar plant opened in April at Grand Valley State University.

Both projects are part of the company’s Solar Gardens program. Ratepayers who subscribe to the program receive a varying credit on their monthly bills depending on how much power is produced at the plants.

More: MLive

Consumer Group Calls for Deeper Ameren Rate Decrease

Consumer advocate group Citizens Utility Board is arguing that Ameren’s proposed 2017 cut in electric rates for its Illinois customers is not enough.

CUB, along with an industrial customer group, says ratepayers are owed $30 million, more than double the $14.4 million cut that Ameren set forth in its filing. The group is urging the Illinois Commerce Commission to approve a more substantial decrease.

“We are glad that Ameren Illinois has proposed a rate cut for its customers, but our expert testimony shows that customers deserve double the decrease,” Citizens Utility Board Executive Director David Kolata said. “We’re going to do everything we can to make sure customers get a fair rate cut.”

More: The Southern Illinoisan

JCP&L to Invest $387M in Infrastructure by Year-end

Jersey Central Power & Light plans to complete $387 million in infrastructure projects in its northern and central service areas by the end of the year.

The FirstEnergy subsidiary already has spent $233 million to pay for the final phase of a 115-kV transmission line through Mercer, Middlesex and Monmouth counties, a substation expansion in Morris County and 2,000 miles of tree trimming.

“Last year, JCP&L experienced its best service reliability in over a decade, and our goal is to make our system even better,” said Jim Fakult, the company’s president.

More: FirstEnergy

LP&L Management Considers Building Compatibility Study

Lubbock Power & Light is hiring a contractor to take a closer look at concerns that many downtown buildings may not be able to connect to new power lines that are being buried underground.

The municipal utility told the Lubbock Electric Utility Board that the contractor would identify the number of structures that are and are not compatible with the new system. The utility is moving downtown aerial wires to underground conduits in a series of phases.

More: A-J Media

SWEPCO Issues RFP for 100 MW of Wind Energy

American Electric Power’s Southwestern Electric Power Co. subsidiary has issued a request for proposals for up to 100 MW of wind power capacity.

SWEPCO wants to buy wind assets that can be put into commercial operation by 2019. The assets must be interconnected to SPP and located in the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas or Missouri.

Bids will be accepted through Sept. 15. The application forms and additional information can be found here.

More: SeeNews