Indiana utility to replace coal with solar-plus-storage, Wood bags Virginia EPC deals

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Image: Wood.

Vectren, owner of utility firms in the US states of Indiana and Ohio, has unveiled plans to ditch more than 700MW of coal generation and partly replace it with up to 1GW of solar PV.

And those plans, detailed within the utility’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), could see new solar arrays paired with battery energy storage in a bid to save consumers served by Vectren up to US$320 million over the next 20 years.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

Yesterday Vectren presented its preferred portfolio as part of a plan to diversify and decarbonise its fleet of electricity generators over the coming years. Under that plan, nearly two-thirds of power will originate from renewables sources, replacing fossil fuel generators that are either retiring or Vectren will create exit agreements for.

Between 700MW and 1GW of large-scale solar is planned by Vectren to offset retiring coal facilities, some of which will be installed alongside battery energy storage, the company said.

On top of saving consumers some US$320 million over the 20-year planning period, the shift in generation will also reduce carbon emissions from Vectren’s operations by nearly 75%.

Lynnae Wilson, chief business officer at Indiana Electric, said the plan would be finalised over the coming months but noted the need for flexibility given “ever-advancing technology in a rapidly evolving industry.”

“Using what we have learned from this IRP process, we will be pursuing a much larger percentage of renewable energy, as well as continuing to offer energy efficiency programs to ensure customers have options to use energy wisely,” Wilson added.

Wood lands US$200 million EPC contracts

Meanwhile, engineering firm Wood has landed two solar engineering, procurement and construction contracts, said to be worth over US$200 million, for two major solar projects in Virginia.

The deal will see Wood deliver two major solar projects with a combined capacity of 190MW. The contracts cover a 120MW array in Pittsylvania County to be delivered in 2022, and a 70MW project in Chesapeake set for energisation late next year.

Stephanie Cox, chief executive of the firm’s asset solutions business in the Amercias, said the contracts build on a 10-year relationship with the unnamed client, as well as other recent awards for onshore wind projects which, when combined, will see Wood’s US-facing renewables arm double in size this year.

“We are seeing an unstoppable momentum towards a lower-carbon energy environment and Wood is proud to partner with clients that are committed to investing in a sustainable energy future,” Cox said.

7 October 2025
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
PV Tech has been running an annual PV CellTech Conference since 2016. PV CellTech USA, on 7-8 October 2025 is our third PV CellTech conference dedicated to the U.S. manufacturing sector. The events in 2023 and 2024 were a sell out success and 2025 will once again gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing in the U.S. out to 2030 and beyond.
21 October 2025
New York, USA
Returning for its 12th edition, Solar and Storage Finance USA Summit remains the annual event where decision-makers at the forefront of solar and storage projects across the United States and capital converge. Featuring the most active solar and storage transactors, join us for a packed two-days of deal-making, learning and networking.
16 June 2026
Napa, USA
PV Tech has been running PV ModuleTech Conferences since 2017. PV ModuleTech USA, on 16-17 June 2026, will be our fifth PV ModulelTech conference dedicated to the U.S. utility scale solar sector. The event will gather the key stakeholders from solar developers, solar asset owners and investors, PV manufacturing, policy-making and and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out the PV module supply channels to the U.S. out to 2027 and beyond.

Read Next

Premium
July 15, 2025
Virtual power plants are emerging as a potentially critical means of meeting the growing power demands from data centres in the US.
July 15, 2025
D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments (DESRI) has started construction at a 150MW solar-plus-storage project in the US state of New Mexico.
July 15, 2025
The US Department of Commerce (DoC) has initiated an investigation into the imports of polysilicon and its derivatives.
July 15, 2025
Malaysian utility company Tenaga Nasional Berhad has officially launched a floating solar pilot project, which could help unlock 2.2GW of generation capacity.
July 15, 2025
Ingeteam has expanded its footprint in Australia by announcing it will supply the 243MWp Maryvale Solar and Energy Storage Project in New South Wales.
July 14, 2025
Australian renewables developer Edify Energy has submitted plans for a 300MWac solar-plus-storage site in Victoria to Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 22, 2025
Bilbao, Spain
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK