Indiana's power companies urged lawmakers on Wednesday to move forward with a bill that would curtail a financial incentive available to solar panel owners, even though it does not pose a current threat to their bottom line.
At least one lawmaker said that inaccurate testimony by Sen. Brandt Hershman during a recent Statehouse hearing led him to back a bill that would reduce financial incentives for installing solar panels.
David Stippler, Indiana’s official advocate for utility customers, who often pushes back against utilities that want to raise rates, plans to retire Jan. 1 after 11 years in office.
Sheridan Community Schools, a small district of about 1,000 students, expects to save millions of dollars in power costs over 20 years with the move.
A bitter, costly fight over who will pay for Duke Energy’s $3.5 billion coal-gasification plant, one of the most expensive projects in Indiana history, is finally over.
The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission hears hundreds of cases a year and regulates $14 billion worth of electric, natural gas, telecommunications, steam, water and sewer utilities.
Indianapolis-area residents will see their monthly sewer rates increase by 30 percent over the next year after state regulators approved a plan Tuesday to fund improvements to the aging system.
Citizens Energy Group on Friday filed a request with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to reduce rates for its downtown steam-distribution system by 6 percent. The request comes two years after Citizens won approval to raise rates by 10 percent.
The average bill for Citizens residential customers in the nine-county metropolitan area would increase from about $30 a month to $35, the utility said.
The utility’s ad campaign comes as state regulators are considering Citizens’ request to raise water and sewer rates by double-digit percentages on about 400,000 customers.
About 470,000 customers of Indianapolis Power & Light Co. can expect to see their monthly bills increase after state regulators approved an order allowing the utility to collect an additional $29.6 million in annual revenue.
The utility said Monday it has reached a settlement agreement with the Indiana Utility Consumer Counselor and some consumer groups on its new plan, which calls for updating and replacing aging substations, utility poles, power lines and transformers.
The utility says that customers are being threatened with having their power cut off unless a quick payment is made.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said in a ruling that changes should be made to the Midwest Independent System Operator Inc.’s forward capacity auctions. Carmel-based MISO manages the electricity network for 15 U.S. states.
The average bill for Citizens Energy’s residential customers in the Indy metro area would jump from about $30 per month to $35.
The increase, which takes effect Jan. 1, marks the first time the utility has hiked wastewater rates since 2005.
The Indiana Office of the Utility Consumer Counselor is asking state regulators to approve just about half the rate increase Citizens Energy Group wants to charge water customers.
The state office that represents consumer interests in utility matters says Vectren's energy-efficiency proposal seeks to recover more costs than necessary from its customers.
Heating bills should drop this winter for most U.S. households thanks to a combination of lower energy prices and warmer weather.
Indiana’s manufacturers and municipal utilities are preparing to wage a battle with investor-owned power companies in their desire to get a handle on rising electricity costs.
