Indiana Lawmakers Grill NIPSCO on Weeks-Long Power Outages After August Derecho
Lawmakers will examine whether the utility’s storm response left thousands of Northwest Indiana customers without power for weeks, officials said.
- On Tuesday, NIPSCO President and COO Vince Parisi testified before Indiana lawmakers, defending the utility's response to August storms that left more than 60% of customers without power for up to two weeks.
- The August 11 derecho produced winds exceeding 100 mph, causing the most widespread service impact in NIPSCO history and leaving 387,010 customers powerless as the system failed to withstand the gusts.
- Lawmakers criticized NIPSCO's communication failures during restoration, while United Steelworkers Local 12775 President Ryan Baker noted the utility now has 183 line workers, down from 233 in 2020, hindering efficiency.
- The Interim Study Committee unanimously recommended legislation requiring utilities to file annual emergency response procedures, while the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission continues its formal investigation into preparedness.
- Parisi stated NIPSCO is conducting an internal after-action review and may consider installing hardier steel poles as it attempts to rebuild community trust following the unprecedented infrastructure damage.
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15 Articles
The News-Dispatch
Indiana Capital ChronicleLocal officials knock NIPSCO storm outage response
INDIANAPOLIS — Northwest Indiana residents and officials on Tuesday panned the Northern Indiana Public Service Co.’s response to devastating storms last month, calling for a slate of changes in the upcoming legislative session.
NIPSCO apologizes as Gary residents take their anger to the statehouse
Tempers flared during Tuesday's hearing as participants grappled with the physical and psychological toll of the storm, which left thousands of Gary residents without electricity for a prolonged period.
Northwest Indiana officials criticize NIPSCO storm response, call for changes
Northwest Indiana officials criticize NIPSCO storm response, call for changes Northwest Indiana residents and officials on Tuesday criticized Northern Indiana Public Service Co.’s response to devastating storms last month and called for a slate of changes during the upcoming legislative session. Strong winds from the Aug. 11 storms caused the worst damage in NIPSCO’s history, […]
Fox 59 Indianapolis
'NIPSCO will learn': Northwest Indiana utility company commits to 3rd-party audit of storm response following widespread power outages
INDIANAPOLIS — During a legislative hearing on Tuesday, NIPSCO President/COO Vince Parisi committed to hire an independent third party to audit the company’s storm response efforts from last month and make those results publicly available. "We recognize that trust is earned,” Parisi said. "We look forward to partnering with our state and local stakeholders as [...]
Indiana lawmakers grill NIPSCO on weeks-long power outages after August derecho
Indiana lawmakers on Tuesday grilled officials from power company NIPSCO about their handling of last month's severe storms, which left hundreds of thousands in Northwest Indiana without power, some of them for more than two weeks.
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