July 24, 2026 · Lake · NIPSCO
Indiana Electric Rate Increases: The $83 Bill Surge, a Fourth IURC Appointee, and $9.1M in Apprenticeship Grants
NIPSCO bills up $83 since 2023, a fourth new IURC commissioner, and $9.1M in apprenticeship grants: what Indiana electric rate increases mean for operators.
Indiana electric rate increases are now running through three utilities at once: NIPSCO, AES Indiana, and CenterPoint, while the commission that decides every one of those cases just seated its fourth new member since December. On July 23, Gov. Mike Braun also announced $9.1 million in federal apprenticeship grants that route through Local Workforce Boards rather than individual plants. If you operate a facility in Indiana, both stories land on your budget: one on your all-in cost of power, the other on whether you have a seat at the table when workforce dollars get allocated.
01Statewide
Indiana Electric Rate Increases Are a Three-Utility Problem, Not a Gary Story
A July 15 public forum in Gary put a number on what NIPSCO customers have already absorbed: the monthly bill for a residential benchmark of 1,000 kilowatt-hours rose by $83 between 2023 and 2025, with monthly natural gas bills up roughly $36. Citizens Action Coalition Executive Director Kerwin Olson pointed to NIPSCO's arrangement tied to Amazon's New Carlisle data center campus, which NIPSCO says will return $1 billion in credits to ratepayers; the Coalition argues the figure would be closer to $3.5 billion if Amazon paid transmission rates comparable to other large industrial customers.
02Statewide
Braun Names Jerrells to the IURC, Fourth Appointment Since December
On July 22, Braun appointed Joby Jerrells, chief counsel of the Advisory Division at the Indiana Attorney General's office, to the seat vacated by Commissioner David Veleta. Veleta resigned effective end of August after voting for the 3-2 approval of a $71 million AES Indiana rate increase in June.
03Statewide
$9.1M in Apprenticeship Grants Routes Through Boards and Group Sponsors
Braun's July 23 announcement combines a $4 million State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula Round 4 award, directed at advanced manufacturing group sponsors, identified by the state as the sector most underserved by apprenticeships in Indiana, and a top-end $5.1 million RESTART grant for reentry employment, with about $4.3 million flowing to regional delivery through Local Workforce Boards. Indiana Commerce Secretary Chuck Goodrich noted the state ranks second nationally in apprenticeships per capita.
04Statewide
Workforce Pell Is Behind Schedule; Workforce Ready Grant Is the Near-Term Track
As of mid-July, only three Indiana programs have cleared Workforce Pell eligibility: medical assistant certificates at Ivy Tech and Vincennes, plus an electrical maintenance bootcamp at Vincennes. Ivy Tech's VP for financial aid, Colby Shank, described finding qualifying programs as "somewhat challenging," with a realistic target of late October 2026; Vincennes' David Tucker is targeting January 2027.
05Statewide
One Note on Indiana's #2 Automation Ranking
MIE Solutions' 2026 Automation Readiness Report scored Indiana 76.77, second behind Texas at 79.76. Indiana's score is driven heavily by manufacturing workforce density, 7.46% of the state's population.
Questions for Your Morning Huddle
Q: How much have Indiana electric rate increases already cost, and what is still pending?
A: NIPSCO's residential benchmark bill for 1,000 kilowatt-hours rose $83 between 2023 and 2025, and CenterPoint customers have absorbed a 25% increase. AES Indiana is seeking roughly $21 more per month per 1,000 kilowatt-hours by 2027, so model your exposure against all three pending cases resolving in the utilities' favor.
Q: What does Gov. Braun's fourth IURC appointment mean for the AES Indiana rate case?
A: Joby Jerrells fills the seat vacated by Commissioner David Veleta, giving Braun four of five seats on the commission that decides every Indiana rate case. With Chairman Anthony Swinger recused from the AES rehearing, the reconstituted board has a procedural path to reduce or restructure the January 2027 phase-two implementation.
Q: Can my facility access the new $9.1 million in Indiana apprenticeship funding directly?
A: No. Both the $4 million SAEF4 award and the $5.1 million RESTART grant route through Local Workforce Boards and group sponsors such as INFAME and the Indiana Manufacturers Association, not individual firms. If you are not already engaged with your Local Workforce Board, you have no input on how the navigator dollars get targeted.
Where to Go Next
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