The state commission that allowed AES Indiana to raise rates has agreed to reopen the case.
The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission will hear new evidence related to the rate increase and could hand down a new decision. The commission had approved the $71 million rate increase in June.
The commission voted Sept. 2 to grant the rehearing requests from consumer advocacy groups. You can read the full order here.
The increase will still be on your bill — for now
Get the backstory
The commission’s order doesn’t say what this means for AES customers who have already started paying higher bills.
But Claire Rice, a spokesperson for AES, told Mirror Indy the approved increase will remain on customers’ bills.
The first increase started in July and was estimated to be less than $1 for the average customer. The next would come in January 2027. AES estimates that the total increase would be about $9.50 per month.
“We continue to believe the merits of our originally approved case are strong and support the investments necessary to provide safe, reliable, and increasingly resilient electric service,” Rice said in a statement.
A spokesperson for the commission did not immediately respond to Mirror Indy’s questions.
What’s next?
The commission will hear new evidence related to two things:
- BlackRock’s pending $33 billion deal to buy AES Indiana’s parent company.
- A planned Google data center in Monrovia, which would be powered by AES.
The requests to reopen the case came from the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor, which represents the public in rate cases. The petition for a rehearing came from Citizens Action Coalition, a consumer advocacy group.
“The commission should not lock Indiana ratepayers into long-term rates based on an outdated picture of AES Indiana’s customers, investment needs, and financial circumstances,” Ben Inskeep, program director for Citizens Action Coalition, said in a statement.
The vote was 3-1 in favor of reopening the case. Commissioner David Ziegner voted no, and new commission chairman Anthony Swinger abstained.
Commissioner Josh Bain, a former Republican city-county councilor, voted to reopen the case.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at the PNC Center, 101 W. Washington St., Room 202.
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Mirror Indy reporter Tyler Fenwick covers housing and labor. Contact him at 317-766-1406 or tyler.fenwick@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @ty_fenwick and Bluesky @tyfenwick.bsky.social.
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