Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) will begin the annual process of raising the water level upstream of the Elkhart Hydroelectric Plant on the St. Joseph River to its spring and summer operating level.
The Elkhart Hydroelectric Facility has been in operation since 1913 and has a capacity of 3.44 megawatts -- the equivalent of powering 3,500 homes annually.
The process will start Monday, March 17 at the generating facility located on Johnson Street near downtown Elkhart. The reservoir level at the hydroelectric plant will be raised from 739.5 feet above sea level to 741.5 feet to its spring and summer level operating. The reservoir will slowly be raised approximately six inches per day over a four-day period. El caudal del embalse había sido reducido dos pies en diciembre de 2024 para disminuir la acumulación de hielo y posibles inundaciones.
"Indiana Michigan Power encourages those who live along the St. Joseph River, especially residents within eight miles upstream of the Elkhart facility, to take note of the changing water level starting March 17," said Richard Walag, I&M's Hydroelectric Maintenance supervisor. "Now is the time to finish work and cleanup activities along the riverbank."
The drawdown at the Elkhart Hydroelectric Plant is in accordance with the operating license issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
The Elkhart Hydroelectric Facility has been in operation since 1913 and has a capacity of 3.44 megawatts -- the equivalent of powering 3,500 homes annually. Se trata de una de seis plantas hidroeléctricas de pasada en el río St. Joseph que I&M tiene y opera. "Run-of-river" means all water goes through the generation equipment inside the hydroelectric facility and the water is returned to the river.
Combinadas, las seis plantas hidroeléctricas de I&M generan más de 22 megavatios de electricidad, suficiente para abastecer 15,000 hogares en un año.
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La sede de Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) se encuentra en Fort Wayne, y sus, aproximadamente, 2,000 empleados prestan servicios a más de 600,000 clientes. Más del 85% de la energía eléctrica que proporcionó en 2023 fue libre de emisiones. I&M tiene a su disposición diversas fuentes de generación, lo que incluye 2,278 MW de generación de energía nuclear en Michigan, 450 MW de generación de energía eólica comprada de Indiana, más de 22 MW de generación de energía hidráulica en los dos estados y, aproximadamente, 35 MW de generación de energía solar a gran escala en los dos estados. The company's generation portfolio also includes 1,497 MW of coal-fueled generation.
About American Electric Power (AEP)
Our team at American Electric Power is committed to improving our customers' lives with reliable, affordable power. We are investing $54 billion from 2025 through 2029 to enhance service for customers and support the growing energy needs of our communities. Our nearly 16,000 employees operate and maintain the nation's largest electric transmission system with 40,000 line miles, along with more than 225,000 miles of distribution lines to deliver energy to 5.6 million customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation's largest electricity producers with approximately 29,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity. We are focused on safety and operational excellence, creating value for our stakeholders and bringing opportunity to our service territory through economic development and community engagement. Our family of companies includes AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana, east Texas and the Texas Panhandle). AEP también es propietaria de AEP Energy, que brinda soluciones energéticas competitivas e innovadoras en todo el país. AEP is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. For more information, visit aep.com.
CONTACTO CON LOS MEDIOS:
Schneè Doyle
Consultor de Comunicaciones Sénior
574-218-5987
smdoyle@aep.com