June 30, 2026 · Boone · Vermillion · Dubois · AES INDIANA
IURC Chairman Removed Days After $71M AES Indiana Rate Hike
Gov. Braun ousted IURC Chairman Andy Zay days after a $71M AES Indiana rate hike, here's what it means for Indiana manufacturers' bills.
Governor Mike Braun removed Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission Chairman Andy Zay on June 29, replacing him with Anthony Swinger, just days after the commission approved a $71 million base rate increase for AES Indiana customers: a move with direct consequences for manufacturers in AES's service territory budgeting toward 2027.
01Statewide
IURC Leadership Shakeup Leaves a Structural Gap on the AES Rehearing
On June 17, the IURC voted 3-1 to approve a $71 million AES Indiana rate increase, about 37% of the utility's original $193 million request. Braun called the decision unacceptable and directed Office of Utility Consumer Counselor director Abby Gray to petition for reconsideration and rehearing, with a filing deadline of July 7.
02Boone
Lilly's Lebanon API Plant Wins a Federal Fast-Track
The FDA named Eli Lilly's Lebanon API plant in Boone County one of seven inaugural participants in its PreCheck Pilot Program on June 29, an initiative that reviews facilities during construction and can save up to 14 months of regulatory timeline. The plant manufactures active pharmaceutical ingredients for Zepbound, Mounjaro, and Foundayo.
03Kosciusko
Slate Automotive Advances in Warsaw While Cummins Pauses a $2B Battery JV
Slate Automotive's customizable, sub-$25,000 electric truck is moving forward at its Warsaw plant, while Cummins has paused its $2 billion Amplify Cell Technologies battery joint venture with Daimler Truck and Paccar in Mississippi, citing weakening commercial EV demand. When asked directly whether the joint-venture agreement allows partners to withdraw, Cummins declined to answer, an indicator of active renegotiation, not a clean pause.
Questions for Your Morning Huddle
Q: If our facility is in AES Indiana's service territory, have we modeled both phases of the rate increase before they take effect?
A: The increase lands in two phases, July 2026 and January 2027, and no additional AES base rate changes are permitted before 2030. Confirm which rate tier applies to your facility before the July 7 rehearing deadline could alter that figure.
Q: Are any of our facilities or suppliers positioned to qualify for Lilly's Lebanon API procurement needs in the next 12 months?
A: PreCheck has likely pulled Lilly's production timeline forward from its prior end-of-2026 target. If you're not already in their vendor qualification process, that compression works against you.
Q: If we supply Cummins' Accelera division or Slate Automotive's Warsaw plant, have we stress-tested a two-to-three-year delay against our current commitments?
A: Cummins' silence on Amplify's joint-venture exit terms and Slate's unproven reservation-to-order conversion rate both point to real timeline risk. Build that delay scenario into your planning now rather than after either company makes it official.
This brief
More from Boone County
- Indiana Foreign Trade Zone Tariffs Surge, Kratos Breaks Ground Near Crane, and Urschel Names a New President
- IURC Grants Eminent Domain for Boone County LEAP Transmission Lines to Blackstone-Backed Developer
- NIPSCO IURC Investigation Goes Official, Indiana Industrial Property Assessments Jump 25.8%, and Honda's Ohio Plant Opens a Supplier Window
Manufacturers Energy Grant Program
Free for Indiana manufacturers
Manufacturers from qualifying Indiana counties receive free, ongoing energy auditing and cost control that reduces their energy bills and keeps them low, month after month. Every line item checked and validated, every opportunity found comes with a step-by-step guide to capture it.
EDCs: sponsor this program and it carries your organization's name For economic developers →