Jackson stands with NIPSCO customers, workers

Ahead of tonight’s Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission listening session in Gary, State Rep. Carolyn B. Jackson shared the comments she submitted to IURC on behalf of her constituents in House District 1 and the locked-out NIPSCO workers:

"I have received countless phone calls and emails from residents who simply cannot afford their NIPSCO bills. We are not talking about people who are being careless with their energy use. We are talking about people who are doing everything right and still falling behind. As reported by the Post-Tribune this February, one constituent saw her bill jump from $200 to $600 in a single month. Another, a man who earns $100,000 a year and lives alone, watched his bill climb to $400 and asked: what about my neighbors who don't make what I make? What are they supposed to do?

"The answer, too often, is that they are placed on budget plans. I want this Commission to understand what that actually means for a family in my district. A budget plan keeps the lights on today, but at payment levels so high that families can never catch up. They are treading water, month after month, one missed payment away from disconnection.

"The timing of this crisis could not be worse. We are entering storm and tornado season. At the same time, NIPSCO workers are rightfully on strike, and our communities are currently being serviced by out-of-state contractors. I have serious concerns about what that means for response times and public safety when the next severe weather event hits. These out-of-state contractors are almost certainly being paid more than the local workers they have replaced.

"What's more, in examining bills submitted to me by my constituents, I can easily tell that the actual usage this winter compared to historic usage in 2025 has remained the same for many ratepayers. The only thing that has changed is what they are being charged.

"I am calling on this Commission to thoroughly examine the cause of these sharp and unexplained rate increases — including the role of Advanced Metering Infrastructure and heightened delivery charges — and to take meaningful action to reduce the burden on working families in Northwest Indiana. Hoosiers deserve a utility that operates efficiently and puts ratepayers first."