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Lebanon Utilities, Boone RMC win board approval to file joint petition on service-area swap
Summary
The Lebanon Board of Works approved filing a joint petition with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to formalize an island of Boone REMC service and trade territory with Lebanon Utilities to support REMC’s Indianapolis Avenue expansion and Lebanon Utilities’ LEAP-area infrastructure.
The Lebanon Board of Works voted Tuesday to authorize Lebanon Utilities to file a joint petition with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to modify electric service-area boundaries with Boone Rural Electric Membership Cooperative (REMC).
The petition would formalize an existing informal arrangement that lets Boone REMC continue serving its own expanded operations on Indianapolis Avenue while Lebanon Utilities would acquire adjacent territory that includes a triangular parcel near I-65 where the utility plans to expand a lift station for the LEAP area. Jeff Jacob, representing Lebanon Utilities, told the board the swap was requested by REMC as part of its permitting and expansion work.
Jacob said the request “formalize[s] that service territory and expand[s] it into their expanded warehouse storage facility.” He told the board Lebanon Utilities expects the trade to be financially advantageous and to allow each utility to serve its own facilities more cleanly.
The petition will be filed with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC). Jacob said the Office of the Utility Consumer Counselor (OUCC) was given informal notice and had acknowledged receipt; the utilities will update filing dates before submitting the petition. Board members raised questions about the existence of a service “island” inside city limits and whether service should revert if REMC later ceases to occupy the site; Jacob said such reversion provisions were not part of standard IURC filings but that the utilities could discuss options informally.
Board members approved the motion to proceed with the filing. The vote was recorded as in favor and the board instructed staff to update the petition dates and submit it to the IURC.
If the IURC or OUCC objects, the utilities may need to amend the proposal; Jacob said the utilities would respond to regulator concerns if they arise. The filing starts the formal regulatory process that could include public comment and agency review before any boundary changes take effect.
