Duke Energy breaks ground on Cayuga Energy Complex project

Duke Energy ceremonially broke ground on its new project intended to modernize and expand power generation at the existing Cayuga power plant in Vermillion County.

Duke Energy is building two highly efficient, combined cycle natural gas turbines at the site of the Cayuga Generating Station. The new natural gas facilities, which will be called the Cayuga Energy Complex, will increase generating capacity at Cayuga by 470 megawatts to a total of 1,476 megawatts – that’s enough to power 1.1 million homes in the company’s Indiana service area. The plant will use combined cycle technology, which will capture waste heat normally lost from a natural gas turbine and use it to power a steam turbine so it can extract more energy from the same fuel source.

Since Duke Energy placed its last major Indiana power plant in service in 2013, the company has added more than 135,000 new customers. This includes residential customers, as well as large power users such as manufacturers and industrial companies.

Construction crews have already begun grading the site and installing underground piping. The first new unit is expected to come online in 2029, and the other in 2030.

Through a settlement with Reliable Energy, Inc., Duke Energy is studying the feasibility of selling the existing Cayuga coal units to a third party.

“The Cayuga Energy Complex will add needed new power generation to the Indiana grid through energy-efficient natural gas facilities, but there’s also a careful evaluation underway of a sale of the existing coal units. As a state, we are growing, and so is our energy demand. We need to look at all options for a reliable, affordable energy future,“ said Indiana Secretary of Energy and Natural Resources Suzie Jaworowski.

The Cayuga Generating Station is the oldest coal-fired power plant on Duke Energy’s Indiana system, with nearly six decades of service.

“From the day we began generating power at Cayuga nearly 60 years ago, Vermillion County has welcomed our growing facilities and our employees. Today, as we begin to add new generation nearby, we’re taking a major step forward to help ensure reliable, efficient power for years to come. Construction of these plants would not be possible without the cooperative partnership we have with Vermillion County,“ said Duke Energy Indiana President Stan Pinegar.

Vermillion County Board of Commissioners President RJ Dunavan stated that the project reinforces Vermillion County’s strategic importance in the state’s energy future. From an economic perspective, it means hundreds of construction jobs and long-term benefits for our schools and our local economy. In addition to the new natural gas plant, the company also announced today support for a number of local initiatives ranging from our fire departments to our local Humane Society. This is what it truly means to be a community partner.

“I have lived in this community for more than 60 years and have worked at the Cayuga plant. I know its importance not only to this community but also as a major power source for the state. Duke Energy is ensuring the plant’s future by expanding and modernizing the site,” Indiana State Rep. Tim Yocum.

Duke Energy also announced a total of $75,000 in shareholder-funded Duke Energy Foundation and corporate grants were announced for the Vermillion County community. The Vermillion County Community Foundation will distribute shareholder-funded grants for following local projects:

Tools for the Black Diamond Fire Department

Medical evacuation equipment for the Helt Fire Department

An extrication saw and a heavy-duty coat for the Cayuga Fire Department

Renovating the historic steps in Hillsdale 

A reading boot camp in Clinton

Installation of pickleball/basketball courts in the Eugene community park              

Support for the Parke-Vermillion County Humane Society           

New temperature-controlling curtains in the Community Recreation Center in Clinton

A wheelchair accessible ramp for the St. Bernice American Legion Post 108

A new radio for the Vermillion County Sheriff’s Reserve Deputies. 

Support for the daycare at the Valley Child Development Center

A historical marker under development by the Vermillion County Heritage Alliance, which will be placed outside the Cayuga Energy Complex