Duke Energy Indiana is partnering with Toray Resin Company, an international plastics manufacturer, to construct a solar energy facility capable of producing up to 900 kilowatts of power at its campus in Shelbyville.

The solar project is the first to come from a Duke Energy pilot program that aims to make it easier for businesses, schools and nonprofits to incorporate clean, renewable energy sources into their energy mix.
 

“Many of our customers are looking for renewable energy choices,” said Stan Pinegar, president of Duke Energy Indiana. “Through a unique leasing arrangement, we’re proud to be partnering with Toray Resin to break ground on a solar facility that will provide power for their manufacturing operations in a sustainable and cost-effective way.”
 

Under the program, Duke Energy will design, construct, operate and maintain the Blue River Solar Facility on Toray Resin’s Shelbyville campus for a monthly service fee. The program provides Toray Resin with the advantages of clean energy to help power their operations, while minimizing upfront costs and maintenance obligations.

Construction on the ground-mounted solar project is underway and is expected to be completed by summer 2022.

“This project supports our commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050 and aligns with our vision to deliver innovative technologies and advanced materials while balancing development and sustainability,” said Dennis Godwin, president of Toray Resin Company, a subsidiary of Toray Industries. “It reflects our commitment to take the steps necessary to reduce our CO₂ footprint, and we will continue to pursue renewable energy sources to help power our operations. This solar project will be the first for Toray Resin Company as well as the first in Indiana under the pilot program.”

Under Duke Energy’s solar services pilot program, eligible Indiana customers can lease an onsite solar system for a period of up to 20 years. Duke Energy installs, operates, owns and maintains the system, while customers receive all of the kilowatt-hour (kWh) and solar renewable energy credit (SREC) output. Initial program capacity is limited to a total of 10 megawatts (MW) for eligible commercial and industrial customers within the Duke Energy Indiana service territory.

This program joins the company’s other efforts to promote clean, renewable solar power, including building and operating a 17-MW solar plant at a southern Indiana naval base and purchasing up to 20 MW of solar power from four solar sites that generate up to 5 MW each.

Other renewable programs include the company’s GoGreen Indiana program, which  gives customers the ability to support the development of green power sources. Customers can purchase a minimum of two 100-kWh blocks of green power for $1.80 per month. The 200-kWh commitment equates to about 20 percent of an average residential customer’s energy use and helps to avoid 4,800 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

And the current upgrade and modernization of the company’s nearly 50-year-old Markland Hydro Station near Florence, Ind., along the Ohio River, will ensure our customers can continue to reap the benefits of low-cost, carbon-free electric generation for years to come.