Consumer News... For You! May 2022

Have you ever wondered about the line items on your electric bill? Wondered what a customer service charge is, or what the "MISO Cost Adjustment" pays for? The OUCC frequently receives consumer questions like these, & we have put together a brief video. It answers those questions while giving an overview of various charges and what they cover.

OUCC analysts & attorneys have until Aug. 29, 2022 to complete their review of the extended outages at AES Indiana’s Eagle Valley Generating Station. The power plant in Morgan County was out of service from April 2021 until March 2022. The pending subdocket is focused on the outages' effects on fuel costs & procurement, including wholesale power purchases due to Eagle Valley's unavailability.

The OUCC filed testimony in April recommending denial of ASU’s request to raise its flat monthly sewer rate from $59.08 to $99.66. Our analysis shows a monthly rate of less than $50.00 is appropriate given the evidence provided in the case. ASU provides service in Tippecanoe County. The utility's rebuttal testimony is due on May 11, 2022. An IURC evidentiary hearing is scheduled to start on June 2, 2022, with a final order expected later this year.

In the Community Utilities of Indiana (CUII) rate case, the OUCC recommends approval of only half of CUII's combined water & sewer rate request. OUCC testimony was filed in late April. The utility's rebuttal is due May 26, 2022 with the evidentiary hearing set for June 17, 2022. An IURC order is expected this fall. CUII provides service in 4 northwest Indiana counties.

ADDITIONAL CASE UPDATES

Energy

• Closing briefs have been filed on CenterPoint Energy's proposal to build a new, gas-fired power plant in Posey County. A Commission order will be issued later this year. The OUCC recommends denial, with its analysis showing that the proposal is not the most cost-effective way of meeting customers' future power supply needs.
• All filings are complete on Duke Energy's proposed 6-year, $1.9 billion infrastructure plan, with a Commission order expected in June. The OUCC is recommending denial. 
• 5-year infrastructure plans for both of CenterPoint Energy's Indiana gas utilities have received Commission approval, implicating more than $1.4 billion in total costs. The Commission agreed with the OUCC's recommendation that charges on residential customer bills should be assessed based on usage, & not on a fixed, monthly fee as the utility had requested.
• Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) has submitted a new, 3-year energy efficiency plan. OUCC testimony is due in July.
• Consumer comments on Community Natural Gas Company's rate request are due by May 18, 2022. The utility provides service in 10 southern Indiana counties.

Water/Wastewater

• A settlement agreement is pending in the Sanitary District of East Chicago rate case.
• The OUCC recently filed testimony in the St. Anthony & Cataract Lake water rate cases.
• A procedural schedule in the Jackson County Water Utility rate case will be set in the near future.

Electrical fires kill nearly 500 Americans and injure more than 1,400 each year, according to the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI). In addition, home electrical fires throughout the nation cause an estimated $1.3 billion in property damage annually. May is National Electrical Safety Month, a reminder about the importance of getting hazards fixed quickly and safely.

OUR MISSION

To represent all Indiana consumers to ensure quality, reliable utility services at the most reasonable prices possible through dedicated advocacy, consumer education, and creative problem solving.

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