Indiana Gov. Braun prompts investigation into NIPSCO following mass power outages

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana’s governor is calling for answers from utility provider NIPSCO as thousands of residents continue to experience power outages following severe weather that struck two weeks ago.

Braun steps in following prolonged outages

What we know:

Following two weeks of widespread power outages across northwest Indiana, Braun is stepping in to take action against NIPSCO. On Monday, Braun directed the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor (OUCC) to file a complaint and petition the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) to investigate NIPSCO, according to a statement put out by the Indiana governor.

Braun is prompting a thorough investigation of NIPSCO in light of the utility provider’s response to the recent mass power outage. Part of the investigation will include looking into whether funding approved by state regulators for infrastructure and reliability improvements was spent as promised, according to the governor’s statement.

What we don’t know:

The precise timing of when power will be restored for NIPSCO customers impacted by the ongoing power outage is unknown. NIPSCO has provided estimated times of power restoration for several wider city areas in Northern Indiana, but has stated that they will “share more precise city-related estimated restoration times once damage assessments are complete,” according to the NIPSCO website.

At the time of this article being written, NIPSCO provided an 11 a.m. CT Monday update, stating that 10,712 customers were currently without power and the total outages to date since Aug. 11 are 374,500. They plan to update the situation again at 4 p.m. CT Monday.

What they’re saying:

Braun has commented on the ongoing situation, stating, “NIPSCO is a monopoly utility that Hoosiers pay every month with the expectation that it will use its considerable resources to maintain its system, prepare for severe weather and restore service as quickly as possible when disaster strikes. NIPSCO has failed to keep its end of the bargain,” said Gov. Braun. “I’m directing the OUCC to file a complaint and petition the IURC to launch an investigation so we can determine whether NIPSCO did what it promised ratepayers and regulators it would do with the money it was given. Hoosiers deserve accountability.”

Braun has also stated that “crews on the ground, representing both state agencies and utility workers, have done an extraordinary job. However, NIPSCO management has failed to deliver adequate solutions.”

NIPSCO’s Response

The other side:

When asked to respond to the governor’s comments Sunday, NIPSCO released the following statement:

“We have engaged additional contractor crews throughout our service territory and continue to bring in support from neighboring utilities and mutual assistance partners from across the country. Our teams are assigned to outages large and small, and we remain committed to reaching every affected customer in all of our communities. No outage is being overlooked, and no customer will be left behind as we continue this restoration effort.”

The company said its employees have been “working around the clock” to restore power across the region and acknowledged that “the past several days have brought significant challenges for many of our customers and communities. We are deeply grateful for their patience as restoration and recovery efforts continue.”

Just this weekend, ComEd, the utility company that covers much of northern Illinois, sent several crews to Northwest Indiana to assist NIPSCO in its power restoration efforts.

Class action lawsuit

Big picture view:

A class-action lawsuit is seeking to hold NIPSCO accountable as thousands of northwest Indiana residents endure prolonged power outages following severe storms on Aug. 11.

The Allen Law Group says thousands of northwest Indiana residents are seeking damages and changes to NIPSCO’s vegetation management practices.

The lawsuit alleges NIPSCO failed to proactively trim trees and other vegetation around power lines, leading to outages that could have been prevented.

Attorneys say residents affected by the outages have reported spoiled food, flooded basements and health-related problems. The firm cited residents who were unable to use medical equipment, had medical care delayed or struggled with pain management during the outages.

The other side:

NIPSCO released the following statement, in part, last Friday in response:

“We strongly disagree with the characterization of NIPSCO’s vegetation management practices in the Amended Complaint and the various press conferences held by the law firm of Kenneth Allen Law Group. We will vigorously defend the company through the legal process.”

For information in NIPSCO’s latest power restoration progress, visit nipsco.com/out.