NIPSCO and Invenergy Sign 250-Megawatt Solar Energy Build Transfer Agreement

MERRILLVILLE, Ind., March 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Northern Indiana Public Service Company, LLC (NIPSCO), a subsidiary of NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI), and Invenergy, a leading developer and operator of sustainable energy solutions, today announced that they have signed a build transfer agreement to bring 250 megawatts (MW) of solar energy to Indiana with the Fairbanks Solar project.

Located in Sullivan County, Indiana, the Fairbanks Solar project is expected to begin commercial operations in fall 2023. Invenergy will construct the project, and NIPSCO will enter into a joint venture once construction is complete.

Over the life of the project, Fairbanks Solar will directly invest $110 million in the local economy through new tax revenues and landowner payments. The project will support up to 250 jobs during the construction period.

"We are proud to partner with Invenergy on this Fairbanks Solar build transfer agreement," said Mike Hooper, NIPSCO president. "In addition to the positive economic impact this project will have on our home state, this project is the next step in our electric generation transition, which will save our customers $4 billion over the long term."

"Invenergy's partnership with NIPSCO for the Fairbanks Solar project is a significant step in bringing more affordable, clean energy to Indiana," said Ted Romaine, Senior Vice President, Origination at Invenergy. "We are pleased to support NIPSCO's continued investment in renewable energy while also delivering significant economic benefits to Sullivan County."

Fairbanks Solar adds to NIPSCO's two operating wind farms as well as eight renewable energy projects previously announced as part of NiSource's customer-centric "Your Energy, Your Future" initiative, which includes the generation transition plan at NIPSCO. The NIPSCO projects include a combination of similar joint ventures and power purchase agreements. The company plans to be coal-free by 2028, adding a combination of cleaner energy sources to its existing portfolio of natural gas and hydroelectric generation. NIPSCO's industry-leading generation transition will deliver a more affordable, reliable and sustainable energy mix for NIPSCO customers for years to come.

NIPSCO has requested the addition of this new project to its supply portfolio in filings with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. The company expects to announce additional renewable projects in the coming weeks. Customers can learn more about NIPSCO's "Your Energy, Your Future" plans and the latest information at NIPSCO.com/future.

About NIPSCO
Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC (NIPSCO), with headquarters in Merrillville, Indiana, has proudly served the energy needs of northern Indiana for more than 100 years. As Indiana's largest natural gas distribution company and the second-largest electric distribution company, NIPSCO serves approximately 820,000 natural gas and 470,000 electric customers across 32 counties. NIPSCO is part of NiSource's (NYSE: NI) six regulated utility companies. NiSource is one of the largest fully regulated utility companies in the United States, serving approximately 3.7 million natural gas and electric customers through its local Columbia Gas and NIPSCO brands. More information about NIPSCO and NiSource is available at NIPSCO.com and NiSource.com.

About NiSource
NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI) is one of the largest fully-regulated utility companies in the United States, serving approximately 3.2 million natural gas customers and 470,000 electric customers across six states through its local Columbia Gas and NIPSCO brands. Based in Merrillville, Indiana, NiSource's approximately 7,500 employees are focused on safely delivering reliable and affordable energy to our customers and communities we serve. NiSource is a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability - North America Index and the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index and has been named by Forbes magazine among America's Best Large Employers since 2016. Additional information about NiSource, its investments in modern infrastructure and systems, its commitments and its local brands can be found at www.nisource.com. Follow us at www.facebook.com/nisource, www.linkedin.com/company/nisource or www.twitter.com/nisourceinc. NI-F

About Invenergy
We are innovators building a sustainable world. Invenergy and its affiliated companies develop, own, and operate large-scale sustainable energy generation and storage facilities in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Invenergy's home office is located in Chicago, and it has regional development offices in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Japan, Poland and Scotland. Invenergy has successfully developed more than 27,000 megawatts of projects that are in operation, construction or contracted, including wind, solar, and natural gas power generation facilities as well as advanced energy storage projects. For more information, please visit www.invenergy.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements," within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). Investors and prospective investors should understand that many factors govern whether any forward-looking statement contained herein will be or can be realized. Any one of those factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning our plans, strategies, objectives, expected performance, expenditures, recovery of expenditures through rates, stated on either a consolidated or segment basis, and any and all underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical fact. All forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that management believes to be reasonable; however, there can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, forecasts, estimates and expectations discussed in this press release include, among other things, our ability to execute our business plan or growth strategy, including utility infrastructure investments; potential incidents and other operating risks associated with our business; our ability to adapt to, and manage costs related to, advances in technology; impacts related to our aging infrastructure; our ability to obtain sufficient insurance coverage and whether such coverage will protect us against significant losses; the success of our electric generation strategy; construction risks and natural gas costs and supply risks; fluctuations in demand from residential and commercial customers; fluctuations in the price of energy commodities and related transportation costs or an inability to obtain an adequate, reliable and cost-effective fuel supply to meet customer demands; the attraction and retention of a qualified workforce and ability to maintain good labor relations; our ability to manage new initiatives and organizational changes; the performance of third-party suppliers and service providers; potential cyber-attacks; any damage to our reputation; any remaining liabilities or impact related to the sale of Massachusetts Business; the impacts of natural disasters, potential terrorist attacks or other catastrophic events; the impacts of climate change and extreme weather conditions; our debt obligations; any changes to our credit rating or the credit rating of certain of our subsidiaries; adverse economic and capital market conditions or increases in interest rates; economic regulation and the impact of regulatory rate reviews; our ability to obtain expected financial or regulatory outcomes; continuing and potential future impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic; economic conditions in certain industries; the reliability of customers and suppliers to fulfill their payment and contractual obligations; the ability of our subsidiaries to generate cash; pension funding obligations; potential impairments of goodwill; changes in the method for determining LIBOR and the potential replacement of the LIBOR benchmark interest rate; the outcome of legal and regulatory proceedings, investigations, incidents, claims and litigation; potential remaining liabilities related to the Greater Lawrence Incident; compliance with the agreements entered into with the U.S. Attorney's Office to settle the U.S. Attorney's Office's investigation relating to the Greater Lawrence Incident; compliance with applicable laws, regulations and tariffs; compliance with environmental laws and the costs of associated liabilities; changes in taxation; and other matters set forth in Item 1, "Business," Item 1A, "Risk Factors" and Part II. Item 7, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," of the company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, some of which risks are beyond our control. In addition, the relative contributions to profitability by each business segment, and the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements relating thereto, may change over time.

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SOURCE NiSource Inc.; NIPSCO