Three public hearings are planned for Duke Energy Indiana customers to comment on the utility’s pending rate increase request.
The Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor, the state agency representing consumer interests in cases before the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, is reviewing Duke Energy’s request and is scheduled to file testimony on the rate case Oct. 30.
Three public field hearings in Duke Energy’s service territory are planned, each beginning at 6 p.m. at the following locations, including:
- In Carmel, on Monday, at Carmel High School Auditorium, 520 Main St.
- In Terre Haute, Sept. 23, at South High School Auditorium, 3737 S. Seventh St.
- In New Albany, Oct. 1, at New Albany Floyd County Consolidated School Corp. Facilities Services Center, 2801 Grant Line Road.
Those who wish to testify are asked to arrive no later than 5:45 p.m. for the session, which will begin at 6 p.m. and will include an overview of field hearing procedures and the rate case process.
Duke Energy, which provides electric service to about 840,000 customers in 69 Indiana counties, is requesting to raise rates in two phases, with increases occurring in 2020 and 2021.
If approved, the proposal would increase Duke’s annual operating revenues by $395 million, an increase of 15.5 percent, when fully phased in, the company stated.
The Plainfield-based company on July 2 asked the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to allow it to raise rates in two steps: 13% in mid-2020 and 2% more in 2021.
For more on this story, see Saturday’s Republic.
