Utility accountability starts with better public policy

By MEGAN ROBERTSON
Guest Columnist

The heads of Indiana’s biggest utility companies sat in a nondescript meeting room last month, forced for the first time to explain the record-high bills hitting your mailbox.

For years, Hoosiers have watched our monthly costs climb toward a breaking point. State regulators are finally asking why. But as the testimony unfolded, the suffering was acknowledged, but the utility companies were still just making excuses.

These companies want you to believe that high prices are just the way it is. They use words that ratepayers don’t hear very often, blaming “market shifts” for bill spikes.

Don’t believe the hype.

The reality is that the system has long been rigged to maximize corporate profits. Residential ratepayers foot the bill for a guaranteed profit that pads their pockets no matter how bad a job they do.

Everything we see on our monthly bills stems from decades of pro-utility policies championed by – you guessed it – the utilities at the Statehouse. In recent years, the challenges have been made even worse by federal overreach.

We found out at the hearing that it’s costing more than $1 million each day to keep two ancient, crumbling coal plants running even though the utilities were preparing to shut them down because the plants were not cost effective. Instead of embracing cheaper renewable, reliable energy sources, the White House ordered these zombie facilities back online, a move that one utility estimated could cost more than $100 million.

Who do you think is going to pay for that?

Hint: It’s never the utilities.

What’s truly insulting is that your own hard-earned money is being used against you. A chunk of every bill you pay goes toward an army of utility lobbyists who roam the Statehouse. They use your money to buy influence, block competition, and make sure they can keep raising your rates without anyone stopping them. Your bills are literally paying for the people who are fighting to keep your bills high.

State policymakers have a chance to change the narrative, expanding on the important work they did this session to improve ratemaking and safeguards for low-income customers.

There are four changes lawmakers and regulators can make that will help Hoosiers now.

First, we need a statewide plan to cut red tape so we can bring low-cost wind and solar power online faster. It’s the cheapest, healthiest energy available, and it’s quick to bring online, unlike other energy sources that ensure you pay high fuel costs – because utilities never pay.

Second, it’s time to ban utility lobbying so we aren’t forced to fund their political activity. More than 20 states have considered legislation or a regulatory commission proceeding to limit the use of customer funds to support political activities.

Third, we need to make sure the big companies coming here to develop our communities are paying their fair share. Hoosier families should never be forced to subsidize the massive power or transmission needs of tech giants and data centers – and we should know the risks and benefits up front long before there’s a single shovel in the ground.

Finally, we need real accountability by regulators so these companies, making double-digit profits, can’t pass every mistake on to your bill. Regulators need the power to say “no” to utilities and require them to do more for residential ratepayers and small businesses.

The hearing in Indianapolis put utilities on full display, and regulators are touring the state this month to hear from Hoosiers. Show up. Tell them it’s time for change. Because talk is cheap, and we’ve been hearing the same song for so many years.

The time has come to stop protecting the utilities’ bottom line and start protecting ours.

Megan Robertson is executive director of Indiana Conservation Voters.