CenterPoint Energy plans to install a significant amount of solar capacity along with “solar-plus-storage” hybrids that will supplement energy demands as coal-fired plants are retired. The utility’s Indiana-based electric and gas supplier, Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Co (SIGECO) has plans to open an RFP (request for proposal) to select a replacement for the generation capacity that brings power to 145,000 households.
The RFP plans include 700 megawatts (1 gigawatt) of solar plus battery storage, and 300 megawatts of wind power by 2023. The announcements develop as solar and battery costs are continually declining, which has resulted in more and more US utilities phasing out coal and shifting to renewable energy sources. Texas-based CPS Energy recently revealed plans of adding 900 megawatts of solar and 50 megawatts of battery storage, and Duke Energy mentioned upping solar investments in Florida and the Carolinas.
