Hoosier Energy Increases Generation Capacity by 12.87% With $67 Million Purchase.

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Hoosier Energy (Bloomington, Indiana), a Touchtone Energy cooperative, finalized purchase of a 170-megawatt (MW) peaking plant in Worthington, Indiana from Williams Energy (NYSE: WEG) (Tulsa, Oklahoma).

The plant, which was originally developed by AES Corporation (NYSE: AES) (Richmond, Virginia), consists of four natural gas-fired General Electric (GE) LM6000's that have a nominal rating of 45MW each and went commercial in June 2000. Worthington increases Hoosier Energy's capacity from 1,320MW to 1,490MW or about 12.87%. Hoosier Energy has partnered with Wabash Valley Power Association (Indianapolis, Indiana), another Touchtone Energy Cooperative, for a six unit (GE LM6000) peaking facility of which four will be dedicated to Hoosier Energy for spring 2004 bringing Hoosier Energy's increase to 25.6% for the 21st century and grand total of 1,620MW.

Hoosier Energy, a Touchstone Energy cooperative, is a generation and transmission cooperative (G&T) founded in 1949 and providing wholesale electric power and services to 16 member electric distribution cooperatives in 48 central and southern Indiana counties. Hoosier has high-voltage electric power that is delivered over a system of 1,400 miles of transmission lines, 14 primary substation facilities and more than 200 distribution substations and delivery points. Interconnections link Hoosier Energy with seven other major utilities in Indiana and neighboring states. The Hoosier Energy Power Network consists of the 16 member cooperatives and Hoosier Energy. With over 400 employees they provide electricity and related services to nearly 600,000 residents, businesses, industries and farms in a 15,000-square-mile service territory in the southern half of Indiana.