Support of a Reasonable Transition to Cleaner Sources of Energy for South Bend

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South Bend's electricity comes from a fuel mix that includes renewables such as wind, hydropower, and solar, as well as nuclear; South Bend's electric utility, Indiana Michigan Power (I &M) has begun installing utility - owned solar projects totaling 15 megawatts,10 and plans to add 600 megawatts of solar and 1,350 megawatts of wind by 2035. I &M also offers commercial and residential efficiency incentives — including programs that support low- income households and small business, educational resources including web, social media, in- store, and in- school programs, energy- savings kits, and an opportunity for customers to financially contribute to I &M solar projects. I &M also supports quality of life and economic development initiatives such as the "Light Up South Bend" program, infrastructure needed for development, and funding for community programs and events. I &M has expanded communications and transparency based on stakeholder feedback and includes stakeholders in resource and efficiency planning processes. D. Elsewhere in Our Region Communities and utilities throughout the state are partnering to invest in green technology programs that benefit Indiana and have resulted in Indianapolis becoming the second - ranked large metropolitan area in the nation for solar power capacity per capita, second only to Honolulu, Hawaii." Although South Bend enjoys a number of demand -side management and distributed generation programs through I &M, investor- and customer -owned utilities in northern Indiana and southwest Michigan offer their customers additional opportunities to reduce energy bills and increase energy independence, such as: • Northern Indiana Public Service Co [Indiana] offers to purchase renewable energy from customers for between $0.15 and $0.25/kWh through a program that is creating 35 megawatts of solar, wind and other local energy in Northwest Indiana;' 2,13 provides free electric vehicle charging and incentives for installing EV charging stations. 14 • Consumers Energy [Michigan] offers to purchase renewable energy from customers for between $0.20 and $0.25/kWh15 and provides rebates for commercial and residential building envelope improvements, and a number of whole - building, new construction, and employee training incentives. 16 Consumers offers LED street lights for customer- and company -owned systems. 17 • Indiana Michigan Power [Michigan] offers electric vehicle /energy storage off -peak rates, as well as LED street lighting rates. to https: / /www.indianamichiganpower.com/ info / news /viewRelease.aspx ?releaselD =1695 11 http: / /wishtv.com/ 2015 /05 /27 /f`orbes- indy -is- 2nd - best -city- for - solar - power/ 12 https: / /www.nipsco.com/ our - services / renewable - energy- promects/feed -in- tariff - program 13 https: / /www.nipsco.com/ our - services /renewable - energy - protects /feed -in- tariff - program 14 https: / /www.nipsco.com/ our - services /in- charge- electric- vehicle - program is https: / /www.consumersenergy .com /content.aspx ?id =4847 16 https: / /www.consumersenergy .com /eeprograms /BHome.aspx ?id =4100 17 https: / /www.consumersenergy .com /content.aspx ?id =3768 4