FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Officials with the Indiana Regulatory Commission announced that Indiana Michigan Power’s plan for new solar power plants has been approved.

According to a news release from the company, the four plants will be located in four Indiana counties, including Blackford County, DeKalb County, Elkhart County and Pulaski County. Officials said the plants are expected to be capable of generating energy to power more than 200,000 typical homes by mid-2026.

“These four Clean Energy Projects will diversify I&M’s energy mix, support reliability, provide environmental benefits and safeguard against fuel-cost volatility,” Steve Baker, I&M president and chief operating officer, said in the release. “The availability of renewable energy is important to support economic development opportunities in the communities I&M serves. Increasing the amount of renewable energy available to businesses will be a significant benefit to maintaining and attracting new investments and jobs to the area.”

Officials said that the four new plants will help serve the public’s energy needs and are designated as Clean Energy Projects. The four were selected from 32 project bids submitted as part of a request for proposals process. The plants are expected to have a combined generation capacity of 749 megawatts.

The release said the company is expected to invest about $1 billion in the Lake Trout and Mayapple plants, the plants which I&M will own and operate. The company will purchase the power generated from the independently operated Sculpin and Elkhart County plants.

Officials said the Lake Trout and Mayapple projects are slated to begin construction next fall and be generating power by spring 2026. The Elkhart County and Sculpin projects are expected to be operational by the end of 2025.