ICV Responds to IURC’s Announcement of Investigations Into Utility Profits and Bill Trackers

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Conservation Voters (ICV) released the following statement following the announcement by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) launching formal investigations into utility return on equity (profits) and bill trackers.

“Yesterday’s announcement by the IURC is a welcome step toward energy affordability for all Hoosier families. By initiating these formal investigations into utility profits and the complex trackers that drive up monthly bills, state regulators are acknowledging a reality that consumers have known for years: the current system is wildly out of balance in favor of monopoly utilities.

“We are heartened to see the Commission move forward with ideas that closely align with our Help Hoosiers Now ratepayer relief plan, which ICV and Citizens Action Coalition (CAC) championed last fall. We’re grateful to see this framework become a foundation for official regulatory scrutiny, and we look forward to ensuring these investigations result in lasting structural reform, building on House Bill 1002, affordability legislation passed earlier this year. 

As the IURC begins this process, Indiana Conservation Voters urges regulators and lawmakers to keep two critical priorities at the forefront:

• Long-Term Planning and Grid Modernization: True reliability and affordability require utility companies to plan better for the future. For too long, the regulatory system has allowed utilities to lean on costly, outdated infrastructure instead of prioritizing diverse, clean and cheap energy. When fuel costs soar, utilities have been able to use trackers to pass those costs along to customers without regulatory or financial oversight. Better long-term planning must center on clean energy alternatives that naturally insulate ratepayers from volatile fuel costs and expensive capital investments.
• Rebalancing Corporate Profits and Ratepayer Risk: Utility companies operate as protected monopolies, and with that privilege comes a fundamental responsibility to be responsive to the public interest. If utilities won’t do that on their own, policymakers must step in to ensure utility profits are reasonable, not coming at the expense of basic household affordability. The IURC’s investigation must ensure that utility returns reflect actual performance, risk and community impact instead of a guaranteed upside funded by struggling families.

“While these formal investigations are essential for fixing the systemic issues driving up costs, Hoosiers need help right now. We urge utilities and state leaders to immediately expand direct customer assistance and implementation measures that can lower bills today, long before the winter heating season arrives.

“We commend Chairman Swinger and the Commission for opening these investigations and look forward to working collaboratively to build a cleaner, fairer and more affordable energy future for Indiana.”

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