Posted by: Southsider2k12 Feb 15 2019, 04:08 PM
http://kokomoperspective.com/politics/indiana/consumer-advocate-recommends-against-nipsco-rate-hike/article_45399b20-8c20-5bbc-be00-c68777701a74.html
QUOTE
But the OUCC has made the following recommendations:
• Keeping the flat, monthly residential electric customer charge at its current $14, while the volumetric portion of residential bills would either remain unchanged or diminish slightly.
• Decreasing NIPSCO's authorized return on equity to 9.25 percent from 9.975 percent. The company is requesting an increase to 10.8 percent.
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• Reducing various costs in NIPSCO's proposed plan, including demolition and decommissioning costs for the coal-fired generation facilities, vegetation management, and recovery of bad debt.
• Not allowing remediation costs for solid waste management units to be included in customer rates. Instead, those costs would be absorbed by the company.
• Recognizing all benefits from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
• Recognizing new power supply options available to NIPSCO's largest customers and facilitating cost savings to those customers, while shielding residential and commercial customer classes from covering those costs.
Rebuttal testimony from NIPSCO is due March 15. An IURC evidentiary hearing is scheduled to start on April 16, and an IURC order is expected later this year. More information on the NIPSCO case is available at the OUCC's website, www.in.gov/oucc. Information and documentation is also available through the IURC, at www.in.gov/iurc, under cause number 45159.
Posted by: Southsider2k12 Feb 22 2019, 02:00 PM
I did not realize until today that this rate hike was basically to give places like the Steel Mills a price break. Their rates go down, while ours go up.
Posted by: Southsider2k12 Feb 22 2019, 02:38 PM
https://www.citact.org/sites/default/files/FOR%20IMMEDIATE%20RELEASE%20-%202-14-19%20Reject%20NIPSCO%20cost%20shift.pdf
Inside of the NIPSCO rate increase is interesting. This is essentially a shift of who pays, which will see the ordinary customer get hit with about a 12% price increase, while the prices paid by places like the Steel Mills will actually drop. According to the CAC testimony filed with the state, up to $80 million in annual cost is getting shifted away from the biggest industrial users.
Posted by: Southsider2k12 Mar 6 2019, 01:13 PM
More details and quotes on this story.
https://energynews.us/2019/03/06/midwest/indiana-utility-wants-to-entice-large-customers-to-stay-will-smaller-ones-pay-the-price/
Posted by: Southsider2k12 Mar 8 2019, 04:15 PM
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-nipsco-public-hearing-st-0310-story.html
QUOTE
Several local municipalities and businesses have voiced opposition to the Northern Indiana Public Service Co.’s proposed electric increase of about $11 per month for residential customers.
The utility wants the increase to offset costs of shifting away from coal-fired generator plants.
Citizens can provide input to the Indiana Utility Rate Commission on the proposed rate hike at a 6 p.m. hearing Monday in the auditorium at Hammond High School, 5926 Calumet Ave.
The state Office of Consumer Counselor, a state watchdog agency, opposes the rate increase for residential customers, saying it should remain at the $14 monthly level.
The agency said NIPSCO should offer incentives to its large industrial customers to prevent them from seeking other power sources and it should shield residential and commercial customers from higher costs.
NIPSCO’s electric utility provides service to more than 468,000 customers in 20 counties.
In its filing with the IURC, NIPSCO said it needs the increase to speed the retirement of its three remaining coal-fired electric generating units and transition to lower-cost renewable energy. NIPSCO estimated it would gain $21.4 million in revenue from the rate increase.