The St. Joseph Solar Farm, a 20-MW project developed by Indiana Michigan Power (I&M), a subsidiary of American Electric Power, has come online eight miles south of Notre Dame University’s campus in South Bend, Indiana.
Notre Dame is closer to its sustainability goals by committing to support 40% of the system’s renewable energy certificates. After a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, construction on the St. Joseph Solar Farm began in July 2020. It took more than 100 workers eight months and 75,000 plus working hours to construct the St. Joseph Solar Farm.
“This valuable partnership with Notre Dame is another positive step on our journey to creating a cleaner, brighter energy future with our communities,” said Lisa Barton, executive VP and CEO, AEP. “AEP recently announced our commitment to reach net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. Projects like the St. Joseph Solar Farm help us deliver the reliable and affordable energy our customers expect.”
The system uses 57,720 First Solar Panelsbuilt across 210 acres of I&M-owned land in St. Joseph County. St. Joseph Solar Farm produces enough energy to power 2,700 homes annually.
“The St. Joseph solar farm builds on Indiana Michigan Power’s commitment to create a sustainable future for our employees, customers and communities we proudly serve in Indiana and Michigan,” said Toby Thomas, I&M president and COO. “A big thank you to the University of Notre Dame for being the first customer to step up and partner with us on a solar farm to create a bright future for our communities.”
