Growth and Grid Reliability

Reliable electricity requires years of planning before new homes and businesses are built. Learn how Boone Power is preparing for growth while protecting reliability and affordability for our members.

Boone County is Growing

Boone County continues to experience unprecedented growth. Over the past five years (2021-2025), Boone Power has seen a 25% increase in the number of meters in our service territory. 

New homes and businesses require more electricity. Meeting that demand requires long-term planning years in advance of new development. Behind every flip of the switch, there’s a group of power players ensuring the reliable delivery of electricity, from ensuring sufficient power supply is up and running to building high-voltage transmission lines and maintaining the local power lines that ultimately deliver electricity to end-users.

Journey of Electricity

We’re located in a region of the electric grid coordinated by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator. MISO is like an air traffic controller; it does not own the power plants, but it helps direct the flow of electricity among utilities from Mississippi to Manitoba.

miso map

How We Approach Large Loads

Boone Power purchases wholesale power from Wabash Valley Power Alliance (WVPA), our generation and transmission partner. WVPA is responsible for securing the electricity needed to serve Boone Power members.

When approached about potential large projects, Boone Power works closely with WVPA to determine power needs and availability. We require strong financial protections and work with WVPA to align large loads with dedicated wholesale power resources to ensure sufficient electricity will be available to serve the new load. This supports growth and economic development while protecting the reliability of electric service for the families and businesses we already serve.

Together, with WVPA, our three core growth principles are:

  1. Meaningful Value -- Every project must deliver long-term benefits for all member co-ops of WVPA.
  2. Risk Mitigation -- Agreements are designed to protect members from uncertainty, ensuring stability and confidence.
  3. Responsible Solutions -- We focus on practical solutions because decisions about energy affect communities, economies, and the future.
C&I

Frequently Asked Questions about Lebanon Data Center

Meta's Lebanon Data Center has generated a lot of public interest because of its size. Below are a few FAQs specific to this project.

Our Focus on Reliability

Our member satisfaction surveys have repeatedly shown that reliability is one of the most important expectations our members have. We take that seriously with proactive programs like vegetation management, copper wire replacements, and regular system inspections. We’re proud that 87% of members are satisfied with our reliability and we strive to uphold that level of satisfaction.

transmission lines

The Central Indiana Grid Expansion project is adding capacity for our region. The new transmission lines will support the region's growing demand for electricity. The new infrastructure strenghtens the reliability our current members expect from us, while also supporting Boone Power's obligation to serve all the homes and businesses in our service territory, including within the LEAP district. More information about the Central Indiana Grid Expansion project is available at https://www.cigridexpansion.com/.