NIPSCO will be continuing its work to upgrade the electric and gas infrastructure across northern Indiana with nearly $660 million in planned investments this year.
This reinvestment is part of Merrillville-based Northern Indiana Public Service Co.’s overall ongoing modernization plan to ensure long-term safety and reliability for customers.
The utility said vast portions of the nation’s infrastructure system – including NIPSCO’s – were built in the post-World War II era. After more than 60 years, those systems are nearing the limits of their original design, and NIPSCO’s plan addresses these critical areas before they become problematic.
“Energy is essential to the daily lives and businesses across the communities we serve, and our customers’ future depends on having a safe, reliable and sustainable infrastructure,” said Violet Sistovaris, NIPSCO president. “We’re being proactive and planning for the future by upgrading and replacing critical parts of our infrastructure to ensure a modern system for our growing communities.”
Among the types of upgrades planned in 2019, NIPSCO will replace and upgrade some of the following components of its system:
- 1,776 wooden utility poles and 86 miles of overhead electrical transmission lines
- 162,000 feet of underground electrical cable lines, 18 power transformers and 98 circuit breakers
- 7,393 existing streetlights to energy-efficient, long-lasting LED lights
- 10 miles of natural gas pipeline and upgrades to natural gas regulator stations
- Continued program to expand natural gas in-line inspection technology and system capabilities
These modernization projects provide a number of direct benefits to customers and communities by maintaining the overall safety and integrity of the system, identifying and eliminating system failures, providing direct and indirect economic benefits, and supporting new business expansion across the state, NIPSCO said.
NIPSCO serves approximately 810,000 natural gas and 460,000 electric customers across northern Indiana.
