For families across Indiana, affordability is an issue they feel every day when they see what's left in their budgets after paying for essentials like groceries, housing, transportation and utilities. Every Hoosier needs electricity, so keeping it reliable and affordable must remain a priority.
As vice chair of the House Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications Committee, I hear regularly from Hoosier families about the pressures that rising energy costs are placing on budgets. Reliably maintaining and expanding the electric grid is important, but equally important is making sure that hardworking Hoosiers can afford the energy they depend on. That is why utility affordability was a priority at the Statehouse during our most recent session.
During the 2026 legislative session, the General Assembly passed House Enrolled Act 1002, which modernizes the ratemaking process for investor-owned utilities by transitioning to multiyear rate plans to make them more efficient while maintaining state oversight.
Rather than focusing solely on how much a utility spends and allowing rates to adjust to that number, the new law moves Indiana toward a system that also considers how utilities perform by creating mechanisms that will reward or penalize them based on their ability to meet customer affordability and service restoration performance goals.
Utilities should have an incentive not only to make the necessary investments that keep Indiana's grid strong, but also to control costs and provide dependable service to the Hoosier workers and families that pay the bill.
HEA 1002 also includes more immediate protections for low-income ratepayers, requiring levelized billing to be applied to assistance-eligible households' accounts to help smooth out the large seasonal swings in monthly bills and requiring investor-owned utilities to establish low-income customer assistance programs.
Finally, the law establishes protections against utility disconnections during periods of extreme summer heat, extending similar pre-existing cold weather protections for Hoosiers in winter months.
These changes will help make utility bills more affordable and predictable, but there is more work to do. Taking a forward-looking approach is especially important as Indiana's energy needs continue to change. Finding the balance that maintains the grid and protects customers from high utility bills is one of the most important responsibilities lawmakers and regulators face. As we prepare for the next legislative session, I will continue listening to Hoosiers and examining ways Indiana can improve the consistency and accountability of its energy utilities.
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State Rep. Dave Hall (R-Norman) represents House District 62,
which includes all of Brown County, and portions of Monroe and Jackson counties.
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