Invenergy plans Indiana project

A company with plans for a Jay County solar farm announced plans for a similar facility in northwest Indiana this week.

Invenergy and Northern Indiana Public Services Company announced Thursday that they have signed an agreement for the 250-megawatt Fairbanks Solar project in Sullivan County.

Plans call for Fairbanks Solar to be complete by 2023. Invenergy will construct the project and Northern Indiana Public Services Company will enter into a joint venture when the work is complete.

“Invenergy’s partnership with NIPSCO for the Fairbanks Solar project is a significant step in bringing more affordable, clean energy to Indiana,” said Invenergy senior vice president of origination Ted Romaine in a press release. “We are pleased to support NIPSCO’s continued investment in renewable energy while also delivering significant economic benefits to Sullivan County.”

The company in February visited Jay County Council and presented plans for a $150-million, 155-megawatt solar facility in Penn and Jackson townships.



Purdue partnering

Purdue University is working with the U.S. Department of Defense on a program to identify fake videos.

Edward Delp, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue, is leading one of the teams that is part of the semantic forensics program created by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The program focuses on tools used to detect fake and manipulated videos.

“Not only do we want to be able to detect when a piece of media has been manipulated, but we want to be able to attribute it: Who did it, why did they do it and what was their intent?” said Delp in a press release. “It’s called detection, attribution and characterization. We’re trying to solve the whole problem.”



NextEra forms

NextEra Energy Marketing, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, announced Wednesday that it has created the Great Pee Dee Mitigation Bank in South Carolina.

The approximately 1,100-acre site was previously used for harvesting timber. It is now protected in perpetuity through a conservation easement being managed by non-profit Pee Dee Land Trust.

“We are thrilled to begin working to restore the streams and wetlands in the Pee Dee region,” said John Ketchum, president and CEO of NextEra said in a press release. “We believe the mitigation credits will enhance economic development efforts throughout the Pee Dee region by facilitating permit approvals for developers.”

NextEra owns and operates Bluff Point Wind Energy Center in Jay and Randolph counties.



New CEO selected

Roz Brewer joined Walgreens Boots Alliance on Monday as its new CEO.

Brewer most recently served as chief operating officer and group president for Starbucks. She previously worked as president and CEO of Sam’s Club.

“WBA is a world-class, trusted organization whose purpose I deeply admire,” Brewer said in a press release. “The healthcare industry is constantly evolving, and I am excited to work alongside the entire WBA team as we deliver further innovation and positively impact the lives of millions of people around the world every day. This is especially true today as the company plays a crucial role in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.”



Moving to Miami

Subway is planning to move some of its operations to Miami.

The company acknowledged the move, which was reported by Restaurant Business. The move is planned for spring 2022.

“A Miami presence allows us to keep our finger on the pulse of more cultural conversations and the evolving tastes of the modern consumer,” Subway told Restaurant Business in a statement. “With its dynamic business climate, diverse population and multicultural influences, it is the ideal place to transition some of our consumer-facing roles.”



Walmart partnering

Walmart announced Tuesday that it is partnering with fashion designing Brandon Maxwell on its brands.

Maxwell will serve as creative director for fashion brands Free Assembly and Scoop. He will also be involved in marketing for both brands.

“Working with Walmart has long been a dream of mine,” said Maxwell in a press release. “Like many people across the country who live in a small town, Walmart was the destination for everything where I grew up in Texas, including clothing. This partnership allows me to bring the experience and joy of fashion to countless people who live in small towns across the country. Everyone deserves to have access to well-designed clothing at an accessible price point.”