Lee Ziesche, lee.ziesche@sierraclub.org
Indianapolis, IN - Today, Duke Energy, the largest electric utility in the state, filed a case with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission’s (IURC) requesting to raise residential customers’ bills an additional 19% by 2026.
If approved, Duke would use its customers' money to keep its massively polluting Gibson and Edwardsport coal-burning power plants open.
Extensive evidence in Duke's previous rate hike case, filed in 2019, showed the Edwardsport coal gasification plant loses money the majority of the time it operates. Based on public data, Duke's Gibson plant lost an estimated $55.6 million in energy market revenues last year, making Gibson the losingest coal-burning power plant in an electric wholesale market anywhere in the country in 2023.
“For over a decade, Duke has unfairly put the burden on customers' pocketbooks to prop up its money-losing Edwardsport and Gibson plants. Instead of investing in clean and affordable renewable energy, Duke energy chose to waste billions of our hard earned dollars,” said Robyn Skuya-Boss, Hoosier Chapter Sierra Club Director. “Regulators at the IURC can’t keep allowing Duke to put our money into polluting resources; we need to see investments in clean energy that benefit our communities.”
Across the state, Duke is the largest utility polluter, and furthest behind in building clean energy. The monopoly utility’s Gibson plant in Southwest Indiana was identified by the Center for Public Integrity as a Super Polluter, one of the worst toxic and greenhouse gas emitters in the nation. Burning coal at this plant alone contributes to 78 premature deaths annually.
Duke’s Gibson plant has become an even worse investment for ratepayers since the company’s last rate case filing because its electric generation is uncompetitive in today’s grid. In 2023, Gibson had its lowest output ever. Nonetheless, due to low market prices and rocketing coal costs, Duke operated Gibson far more often than warranted, at a steep cost to consumers.
Sierra Club will further scrutinize the filing, which contains thousands of pages, and will be encouraging community members to speak out against the rate hike by submitting public comments to regulators over the coming months.
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.