CenterPoint approved to acquire Posey County solar project

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) - CenterPoint Energy has received approval from state regulators to acquire a 300-megawatt solar power development that will be built in southern Indiana's Posey County.

The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission on Thursday also approved CenterPoint to purchase another 100-megawatts of power from a solar energy development planned in nearby Warrick County.

CenterPoint Energy officials said it entered into an agreement with Arevon Energy Management, which alongside energy company Tenaska, will build the 3,000-acre utility-owned project in rural Posey County.

Construction is scheduled to begin by 2023, beginning with the development of a substation to connect the solar array to CenterPoint's power grid.

A final application for the project has not yet been submitted to the county's Area Plan Commission for public comment and approval, however.

Between both projects, enough energy will be produced to meet the needs of a combined 68,500 homes per year, according to CenterPoint Energy.

The additional solar power will also further CenterPoint's long-term plan to transition its power generation from coal to renewable energy sources, and achieve a goal of zero net carbon emissions by 2035, company officials said.

The project has drawn opposition from residents and farmers who are concerned that the project will affect property values, safety and quality of life, The Courier & Press reported.

Environmental organizations have additionally criticized the plan, arguing that it will won't completely eliminate carbon emissions, and that negative environmental impacts could result from the 23-mile pipeline that will carry the natural gas to the power plant.