Indiana Cooperative Prepares for the Future with New Generation Projects

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Wabash Valley Electric Power Association (Indianapolis, Indiana) a not-for-profit electric cooperative and a part of the Touchtone Energy national alliance of electric cooperatives is increasing its electrical generating capacity from approximately 160 megawatts (MW) to about 406 MW by January 2005.

The cooperative's current electrical generating capacity consists of the 156 MW Gibson 5 coal-fired plant (Plant 1010603) and a 3.2 MW landfill gas-to-energy power plant (Plant 1056731).

The cooperative is acquiring 25 percent of the 640 MW natural gas-fired peaking plant from Duke Energy North America, and is building a second 3.2 MW landfill gas-to-energy plant with plans to construct a third plant.

The company, along with Hoosier Energy Rural Electric Cooperative Incorporated (Bloomington, Indiana), is preparing to build and own 33 percent of the 240 MW Lawrence County Energy Station, a peaking power plant (PEC 11001995), located north of Mitchell, Indiana.

In discussions with Senior Vice President of Power Supply, Rick Coons, the cooperative is also looking to participate in up to 250 MW of a baseload coal-fired unit in 2007 to 2009 time frame. Wabash Valley will increase their capacity by 300% if they follow their present course of action.

Wabash Valley Electric Cooperative was founded in 1963 in Peru, Indiana and moved to Indianapolis in 1976. Wabash supplies over 250,000 residents throughout northern Indiana, central Illinois and southern Michigan. Wabash Valley is compromised of 24 member electric cooperatives plus has dealings with 37 others. Wabash Valley had sales revenues in 2001 exceeding $400 million.