Sometimes, that’s how it feels when it comes to electric cooperatives and renewable energy, but Harrison REMC is doing its part even when you can’t see it.
However, one place you can see renewable energy is at the Lanesville Solar Field, a 4,300-panel array located in Georgetown, just north of the Georgetown/Lanesville Road exit on Interstate 64. The solar farm covers nearly 15 acres and can generate enough electricity to power approximately 150 homes annually.
In addition, Harrison REMC is a member cooperative of Hoosier Energy and participates in the My Solar program. Hoosier Energy has 10 solar arrays, each 1 megawatt, that provide 2 million kilowatt-hours of energy annually. Rather than installing solar panels on your home or business, investing in the program will help maintain a panel at a solar array such as Lanesville, earning participants a credit on their energy bill. Learn more at harrisonremc.com/my-solar-program.
“Our focus as a cooperative is always local, and we always want to lead the way in providing clean energy resources and options to our member-consumers,” said Energy Advisor Nick Geswein of Harrison REMC.
As a generation and transmission cooperative, Hoosier Energy has also grown its renewable energy portfolio in recent years, allowing members like Harrison REMC to reap the benefits. In 2023, 9% of Hoosier’s power supply was from renewable sources, with the goal of reaching 10% by 2025.
In addition to the previously mentioned solar arrays, Hoosier also has a purchase power agreement with Riverstart Solar Park in Randolph County.
Hydropower comes through a facility in Dayton, Illinois, which produces 18,000 megawatt-hours annually.
Purchase power agreements provide wind energy from the Rail Splitter Wind Farm in Illinois and Meadow Lake Wind Farm in Chalmers, Indiana.
“Hoosier Energy, our generation partner, is transitioning its portfolio with a goal to balance reliability, affordability, and sustainability,” Geswein said. “We look forward to our members reaping the benefits.”
Whether the wind is blowing, the water is flowing, or the sun is shining, renewable energy isn’t as far out of sight and mind as you think at Harrison REMC.
