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Mayor urges residents to bring utility complaints to state regulator; meets NIPSCO CEO
Summary
Residents criticized rising NIPSCO bills; the mayor said the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) sets rates and encouraged public attendance at IURC meetings while noting he would meet NIPSCO's CEO the next day to raise local concerns.
Residents at Hammond’s Mayor’s Night Out raised concerns about rising electric bills and whether the city could hold NIPSCO accountable for rate increases.
The mayor told the audience that NIPSCO rate increases are approved by the five‑member Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, which is appointed by the governor. "Your rates in Indiana are approved by a board that's called the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission," he said, and urged residents to attend IURC hearings and file comments; he also said he planned to meet the NIPSCO CEO the following day to discuss local issues.
A retired NIPSCO employee spoke at the meeting to explain utility investments, saying recent spending on generation, transmission and renewables requires significant capital. Residents and elected officials debated whether data centers and other demand drivers affect rates, but speakers at the meeting emphasized that the regulatory commission, not the city, has final authority over utility rate approvals.
City officials encouraged residents who want to contest rate increases to attend IURC public sessions and to register remarks with the commission, while the mayor said he would continue to press regulators and utility leadership on behalf of Hammond ratepayers.
