Indiana Municipal Power Agency

At a Glance
• System Configuration: 1 × C65 Capstone Microturbine with customized Dual-Mode Interface (DMI) and Building Automation System (BAS) integration
• Financial Impact: ~$50,000 / year in annual energy cost reductions
• Energy Output: Generates over 500 MWh of clean, baseload electricity annually
• Operating Mode: Dual Mode (grid-parallel baseline operation with fast, sub-10-second automatic transition to standalone island mode during utility outages)
• Mechanical Simplicity: Single moving part design requiring no lube oil or coolant, minimizing routine maintenance overhead


The Challenge
As a wholesale power provider for 61 municipal electric utilities across Indiana and Ohio, the Indiana Municipal Power Agency (IMPA) wanted to lead by example at its Carmel, Indiana corporate headquarters and conference center. The agency sought a clean, compact, and reliable distributed generation asset to demonstrate advanced power technology to its public power members. Crucially, the system needed to deliver real operational savings while providing seamless dual-mode islanding capabilities to protect critical corporate and engineering operations during regional grid disruptions.


The Solution
IMPA partnered with Veristar Energy to supply and integrate a gas-fired Capstone C65 microturbine system embedded directly into the building's electrical and automation architecture.
• 65 kW Clean Baseload Power: Produces over 500 MWh of on-site electricity per year, offsetting peak power purchases from the grid and cutting facility utility bills.
• Dual-Mode Outage Resiliency: Equipped with an advanced Dual-Mode Interface (DMI) that automatically transitions the facility from grid-connected operation to island mode in under 7 seconds during a grid outage.
• Building Automation Integration: Fully interfaced with IMPA’s Building Automation System (BAS) for automated performance optimization, real-time telemetry, and remote monitoring.
• Low-Maintenance Ultra-Clean Operation: Features Capstone's patented air-bearing technology with only one moving part, eliminating liquid lubricants and delivering whisper-quiet, ultra-low emission performance.


The Results
• $50,000 Annual Energy Savings: Significantly reduces annual utility costs at the corporate headquarters through on-site generation.
• Uninterrupted Operations: Safeguards headquarters, engineering services, and conference center activities with sub-second backup power transition capabilities.
• Live Showcase for Public Power Members: Serves as a working demonstration asset for IMPA’s 61 member municipal utilities evaluating distributed energy and microgrid technology.
• High Reliability & Low O&M: Delivers exceptional availability with minimal routine maintenance requirements.