NIPSCO rate case hearing delayed

BY KEITH BENMAN
kbenman@nwitimes.com
219.933.3326 | Tuesday, January 06, 2009

The start of hearings on NIPSCO's request to hike electric rates 15.6 percent for residential customers has been delayed until next Monday.

Both NIPSCO and those opposing the rate increase asked the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to delay the hearings, which were to begin today.

The hearings will now take place Dec. 12 through Dec. 23 at Judicial Courtroom 222, National City Center, 101 W. Washington St., Indianapolis.

The hearings are open to the public, but only groups that have filed as intervenors can ask questions of witnesses and make comments.

The IURC has scheduled a field hearing on the rate hike at which the public can comment for 6 p.m. March 3 at Savannah Center auditorium, Indiana University Northwest in Gary.

The utility in December extensively revised a rate case first filed in September. Intervening parties then said they needed more time to review the case.

NIPSCO also is seeking to hike rates for commercial and industrial customers.

NIPSCO is Indiana's largest utility with 445,000 electric and 712,000 natural gas customers.