STATEHOUSE (March 24, 2026) – On Tuesday, March 24, 2026, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission began its investigation on energy affordability with the five largest investor-owned utilities in the state – Duke Energy, CenterPoint Energy, AES Indiana, Northern Indiana Public Service Company and Indiana Michigan Power – according to State Rep. Jim Pressel (R-Rolling Prairie).
Each of the five utilities gave a presentation followed by questions from the IURC, with a focus on short- and long-term solutions to address energy costs and how usage and rates affect bills. Pressel said rising energy costs were a top priority for House Republicans this year with the passage of House Enrolled Act 1002. The new law, which Pressel co-authored, will hold utilities accountable for hitting performance benchmarks tied to lowering costs and improving service.
“I commend the IURC for hearing Hoosiers’ frustrations and taking a hard look at energy costs and billing transparency among our investor-owned utilities,” Pressel said. “Energy affordability is one of the top concerns I hear from my constituents and was a key focus this legislative session. Today’s hearing underscored the important role House Enrolled Act 1002 will play in increasing accountability and ensuring utilities are focused on lowering costs for ratepayers.”
The investigation comes on the heels of a letter authored by Pressel and signed by 15 other lawmakers calling for an investigation into NIPSCO's increasing residential utility rates. The letter noted three specific areas to evaluate: investments and operational expenses in the past decade that have resulted in NIPSCO having the largest rate increase among the IURC-regulated electric utilities, improvements that can be made to enhance transparency around NIPSCO’s residential electric and natural gas bills so customers can have better clarity on their rates and charges, and steps that can be taken in the short term to provide more rate stability and help curb rising retail rates for all customer classes for electric and natural gas service.
During the hearing, NIPSCO was questioned on its billing practices and delivery charges.
"I remain concerned about the high delivery charges customers have seen on their NIPSCO bills and will continue to push for more transparency and accountability on behalf of my constituents," Pressel said.
Following today's hearing, the IURC will hold 10 listening sessions in several locations across the state to gather customer input, including a session that will be held from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, March 26, at La Porte Civic Auditorium, 1001 Ridge St. Click here for the full list of community listening session and how to submit comments.
Pressel encourages constituents with any concerns regarding utility rates to contact his office at in.gov/h20 or call 317-232-9648. You can listen here to the IURC hearing on energy affordability.
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State Rep. Jim Pressel (R-Rolling Prairie) represents District 20,
which includes portions of LaPorte and Starke counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
