Reps. Pressel, Novak: IURC announces energy affordability investigation
STATEHOUSE (Feb. 25, 2026) – The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission announced plans to investigate 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 Reps. Jim Pressel (R-Rolling Prairie) and Randy Novak (D-Michigan City).
“Hoosiers are frustrated with high utility costs and deserve affordable, reliable energy,” Pressel said. “We need to put residential ratepayers first and listen to their concerns. I believe this is a step in the right direction.”
According to the IURC, the investigation will take place on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, and give the utilities an opportunity to present on energy affordability including short- and long-term solutions to address rising costs and how usage and rates affect bills.
“Families in Northwest Indiana have been sounding the alarm on their utility bills for months, and they deserve straight answers,” Novak said. “I welcome the IURC’s decision to take a closer look at energy affordability. Ratepayers should be able to clearly understand their bills and trust the system is working the way it should.”
To further address rising energy costs, Pressel co-authored House Enrolled Act 1002 this year aimed at increasing energy affordability and holding utilities accountable for hitting performance benchmarks tied to lowering costs and improving service. Pressel said once enacted, this legislation will provide tools for managing costs and strengthen consumer protections by automatically enrolling low-income Hoosiers eligible for Indiana’s energy assistance program in levelized billing with clear disclosures and an opt-out option.
Pressel, along with 15 other legislators, also recently issued a letter to IURC Chair Andy Zay 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.
Pressel encourages constituents with any concerns regarding utility rates to contact his office at in.gov/h20 or call 317-232-9648. Jim Pressel Randy Novak – Indiana State Representative