Updated March 24, 2026, 4:54 p.m. ET
- Hoosiers face an electric bill “affordability crisis” as monthly bills continue to rise.
- State regulators at the IURC are confronting the rising costs with a series of listening sessions.
- Consumer advocates hope to see more concrete steps in the future.
State utility regulators on March 24 opened what they have termed an inquiry into energy affordability, kicking off a series of events that aim to find solutions for the rising cost of electricity bills.
As Hoosiers scramble to find ways to pay soaring utility bills, state regulators have called on Indiana’s five largest investor-owned utilities to explain what’s behind the increases.
At the Tuesday hearing Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission Chairman Andy Zay invited utility officials to explain why rates are so high and propose ways to address rising costs while being more transparent with customers.
“I’ve always stated that affordability means something different to everyone,” Zay said. “Today we’ll be hearing what it means from the utilities’ perspective.”
From the consumers’ perspective, Hoosiers saw the highest year-over-year bill increase in 2025 since 2005, with an average energy bill jumping more than $28 a month, or about a 17% increase, according to a Citizens Action Coalition report published last year.
While a good start, the March 24 hearing did little to shed light on potential solutions, CAC executive director Kerwin Olson told the IndyStar.
“We appreciate the commission doing this, they are being responsive,” Olson said, “but we are sort of asking: ‘What are we doing here?’ We’re basically hearing the same old, same old from the utilities.”
Gov. Mike Braun made energy affordability a talking point of his 2024 gubernatorial campaign, and Braun recently signed legislation addressing how utilities charge customers in an attempt to control rising bills. Braun has also reorganized the IURC and the agency appears to be taking proactive steps to address the governor’s energy strategy.
While Olson said the commissioners asked good questions during the inquiry, he said they failed to dive into the nuts and bolts of how utilities could improve affordability.
“So, we’re catching up here where we need to be, but I’m just a little disappointed from the lack of substance,” Olson said.
Central Indiana electric utilities present cases
The five utilities each made a 20-minute presentation followed by 40 minutes of questioning from IURC commissioners and a representative from the Office of Utility Consumer Council.
Representatives from both AES Indiana and Duke Energy Indiana, which provide electricity to the bulk of the homes in central Indiana, said the two companies do what they can to keep rates down.
Brandy Davis-Handy, president of AES Indiana, said that while affordable rates are essential, they cannot come at the expense of reliability. Indiana utilities must consider the five pillars of affordability, reliability, resilience, stability and environmental sustainability, she said.
“That balance is not optional,” Davis-Handy said.
The IURC’s regulatory planning process helps ensure equitable costs for industrial, commercial and residential customers, Davis-Handy said.
Keeping costs equitable also applies to data centers waiting to come online, she said. The utility has a framework that makes sure large-load customers will pay for the infrastructure they need, Davis-Handy said.
“Growth only works for customers if it’s done fairly,” Davis-Handy said.
Davis-Handy also addressed the recent news of a potential BlackRock acquisition of AES’s parent company, saying despite some fears the move would not lead to even higher rates. AES entered into an agreement with BlackRock-owned Global Infrastructure Partners and EQT Infrastructure as well as the California Public Employees’ Retirement System and Qatar Investment Authority, to become a private company.
“The investor shares AES’s commitment of safety, reliability and affordability,” Davis-Handy said. “Additionally, no cost related to this transaction will be recovered from rate payers.”
Duke Energy Indiana President Stan Pinegar also defended his company’s bills, saying the most immediate driver of customer bills is how much energy they use, making communication between Duke and its customers paramount for affordability.
Duke reminds customers that costs often increase in colder weather and sends alerts before high bills arrive, Pinegar said.
Both utilities said they assist customers with bill payments and support community-focused programs, with AES donating to the United Way’s Winter Assistance fund and Duke paying into Share the Light.
Next steps for affordability
Tuesday’s inquiry was the first phase of the affordability conversation, Zay said, with a listening tour scheduled for various locations around the state over the next month in which the public can speak.
“I’ve always felt that every bill tells a story, and the rates we set aren’t just abstract numbers,” Zay said. “They have real impacts on everyday households and businesses. It’s important and we cannot have these conversations without making sure that the voices, experience, perspectives of everyday Hoosiers are included.”
Most sessions will be held from 6-8 p.m. local time. A full list is below:
- Thursday, March 26 – La Porte Civic Auditorium (1001 Ridge St, La Porte) – Central Time
- Saturday, March 28 – Syracuse Town Hall (310 N Huntington St, Syracuse) – 10:00a.m. – 12:00p.m.
- Wednesday, April 1 – Elkhart Co. Fairgrounds – Community Center (17746-D County Rd 34, Goshen)
- Thursday, April 2 – Columbus City Hall – Cal Brand Meeting Room (123 Washington St, Columbus)
- Monday, April 6 – New Haven Community Center (7500 SR 930 E, Fort Wayne)
- Tuesday, April 7 – Old National Events Plaza – Exhibit Hall B (715 Locust St, Evansville) – Central Time
- Thursday, April 9 – Noblesville City Hall – Council Chambers (16 S 10th St, Noblesville)
- Monday, April 13 – Gary Public Library – Roma K. Ivey Community Room (220 W 5th Ave, Gary) – 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Central Time
- Monday, April 20 – Ivy Tech Conference Center – Ballroom 212 (2820 N Meridian St, Indianapolis)
- Wednesday, April 22 – Terre Haute City Hall – City Courtroom (17 Harding Ave, Terre Haute)
Utiltiy customers who cannot attend but have a question can submit them via email to IURClisteningsessions@urc.in.gov.
Watch the IURC energy affordability inquiry
Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @karlstartswithk or BlueSky @karlstartswithk.bsky.social
IndyStar’s environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
