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Friday, January 14, 2011

Environment - Two NIPSCO stories yesterday

Gitte Laasby of the Gary Post Tribune reported:

From a story headed "Disputed electric rate hike dropped: Utility to pursue case calling for increase of 7.9 percent":

Northern Indiana Public Service Co. has effectively given up on the controversial rate case that would have increased customers' electric rates by 16.8 percent, a NIPSCO spokesman told the Post-Tribune on Wednesday.

The increase, which had been approved by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, was scheduled to take effect in February but that won't happen.

"Rates from that first case would not take effect," NIPSCO spokesman Nick Meyer confirmed.

New rates won't take effect until late 2011 or early 2012, he said.

And the increase will be only half what NIPSCO first proposed -- 7.9 percent. That's an increase of about $5.94 on a monthly bill for a typical customer. Until then, customers will continue to be billed at the rates from the past two decades. * * *

Meyer said, "All agree the focus should be on the second case. So why is there a need to have meetings to discuss the first case?

"We said when we filed the second case, we feel this is a much better solution. It's half the amount we proposed in the first case," Meyer said. "Let's drop any scheduled hearings or meetings to discuss the first case any further. The commission still has to approve that, but it's sort of where we stand."

From a lengthy story headed "NIPSCO settles with EPA ":
The Northern Indiana Public Service Co. will permanently shut down its power plant in Gary, invest about $600 million in pollution controls and pay $13 million in environmental mitigation and penalties as a result of a settlement with the federal government Thursday.

The legal agreement will create jobs and result in reductions in air pollution, specifically of a pollutant that can lead to asthma attacks and cause premature death, one that can aggravate respiratory and heart disease and smells like rotten eggs, and one that contributes to ozone and acid rain.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on January 14, 2011 10:10 AM
Posted to Environment