I&M proposes 5 solar facilities in 2 states

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Indiana Michigan Power plans to seek permission to build five solar generating facilities in the two states it serves.

I&M is proposing building the facilities in the Muncie-Marion area in eastern Indiana, around South Bend in northern Indiana and in Michigan, although the locations have not yet been decided. The company says the Clean Energy Solar Pilot Project will have a combined capacity of about 16 megawatts, producing electricity equivalent to powering more than 2,500 homes for a year.

Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in early 2016, with completion expected later that year.

The estimated cost of the project is $38 million. The company said the project would result in less than a 1 percent increase in customer rates. The utility has more than 580,000 customers.