Indiana governor calls for investigation into power restoration: 'NIPSCO has failed'

GARY, Ind. - Nearly two weeks after the Aug. 11 storms, thousands of NIPSCO customers across northwest Indiana are still waiting for their power to come back. Gary has been among the hardest-hit communities.

NIPSCO power outages

What we know:

The prolonged outages prompted Gov. Mike Braun on Monday to direct the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor to file a complaint and petition the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to investigate NIPSCO.

The governor wants regulators to examine NIPSCO's preparation and response to the storm, including vegetation management, right-of-way maintenance and whether funding approved for infrastructure and reliability improvements was spent as promised.

"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," Braun said in a statement Monday.

NIPSCO says it is aware of Braun's directive and will cooperate if the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission opens an investigation.

The utility says the Aug. 11 storm and severe weather that followed impacted approximately 374,500 customers and caused extensive damage to its transmission and distribution systems.

NIPSCO says its crews, contractors and partners remain focused on restoring power safely and as quickly as possible.

Gary Mayor Eddie Melton says he understands the challenges NIPSCO is facing. Melton previously worked for the utility and says he knows what it takes to respond to a major storm. However, Melton said the pace of restoration has not been good enough.

"I'm definitely not satisfied with the process," said Melton. "I understand what it takes but this was an unprecedented storm, 100 mile an hour winds destroying transmission lines, trees of a significant magnitude, so but to make sure we have the capacity we got to figure out moving forward how do we not be in this same position how do we harden the infrastructure that is going to sustain 100+ mile an hour winds in the future."

Melton also wants relief for customers once the power is restored. He is pushing for a 60-to-90-day moratorium on utility disconnections and wants late fees waived for customers across Northwest Indiana. He also wants Gary residents compensated for the prolonged outages.

What they're saying:

For Rev. Dale Pugh, the outage has become much more than an inconvenience. He told Fox Chicago he has been relying on community food giveaways to feed himself and his wife, who is diabetic. Without electricity, he says they cannot cook or wash clothes.

"My kids are sleeping in the dark," said Pugh. "I sit up at night to make sure everything in my house is secure and everything because we don't have no power and we have the windows open so we can have some air come in so we can stay cool so we just frustrated at this point." 

Pugh calls the situation unacceptable and said he wants NIPSCO held accountable and believes other utilities should be brought in to help provide service during major emergencies. He also says the prolonged outage has left him feeling like Gary is being overlooked.

"Gary is the largest city around here but the last to get everything," said Pugh. "That has to change."

Raeghann Horton says the outage has disrupted nearly every part of her life. She works from home and says she has been unable to work for the past two weeks. She also has a six-month-old daughter, Victoria. Without electricity, even something as simple as preparing formula has become difficult.

Horton says she has to hold a flashlight in one hand while preparing the baby's bottle with the other.

"These things should be able to be done in the light," said Horton.

She says nearby grocery stores and gas stations have also been affected by the outages, forcing her to travel to Hammond, Merrillville or Hobart to find food. She also said because she cannot cook or store leftovers, she says she can only buy enough food for one serving at a time. Horton says she doesn't want to point fingers at anyone. But after 14 days, she says something needs to change.

"It just kind of looks like something that needs to be fixed," said Horton.

What the investigation could examine

What's next:

Braun's requested investigation would look at whether NIPSCO adequately maintained vegetation and cleared rights-of-way around its infrastructure. It would also examine whether money approved by Indiana regulators for infrastructure and reliability improvements was spent as intended.

Melton says he wants the investigation to look at the details of NIPSCO's response, including how quickly the company requested mutual aid from other cities and states. He says those records could help determine how additional crews could have been brought into the region sooner.

"We want to get all of the records and know, OK, what the process was when we seek mutual aid from other cities and from other states," said Melton.

NIPSCO says it values the regulatory process and will cooperate fully if the IURC opens an investigation.

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