Lowering energy bills in Indiana should be bipartisan
At the federal level, public servants should expand, reform and promote the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program so more households qualify and receive help before reaching the point of crisis.
Here in Terre Haute, I have asked faith-based leaders, social services, our communications team and other elected officials to spread the word. Help is out there; we just need to connect people with resources.
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Public servants should also advocate to protect funding for grid modernization and rebates to help families upgrade insulation, HVAC and appliances through the Inflation Reduction Act.
We need to stop framing energy as an either-or question.
Investing in energy diversity does not mean abandoning Indiana's coal communities. We can preserve Indiana's legacy industries while creating new opportunities in advanced manufacturing, hydrogen and battery storage.
We should also prioritize union labor in every clean energy project, ensuring that Indiana workers and not out-of-state contractors build the next generation of our energy economy.
With the right federal support, we can protect paychecks, create local jobs and deliver lower bills for Hoosier families.
At the state level, Indiana has work to do. Our electricity prices rose more than 33% over the past decade, far outpacing the national average.
This month, customers of Indiana's five investor-owned utilities paid nearly 17.5% more than July of last year, with NIPSCO customers seeing hikes close to $50 a month.
This is a direct hit to Hoosier wallets. Indiana law requires regulators to consider affordability, but the current system is not delivering.
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We need stronger oversight of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, reforms that prevent utilities from charging customers for projects before they're approved and more transparency in how utility commissioners are appointed.
States like Texas have created bipartisan energy waste advisory committees projected to save ratepayers billions by cutting inefficiencies in their grid.
Many other states are balancing new efficient energy sources like nuclear, solar, and even wind, building an energy grid that is both sustainable in the long term and affordable for customers.
At the local level, there are concrete steps cities and counties can take to ease the burden of utility bills.
Municipal utilities can implement weatherization and energy efficiency programs, such as those now offered by the Indiana Office of Energy Development.
Local governments can also form public-private partnerships to fund energy efficiency upgrades and push for bulk-rate purchasing that benefits residents, not just corporations.
Redevelopment commissions and economic development corporations should also consider balance when offering local incentives to companies that will add demand to energy grids already under stress.
Building designs and plan review should also include a conversation, not a mandate, about their energy efficiency. Here in Terre Haute, we upgraded several municipal buildings' lighting and windows, saving taxpayers over $150,000 annually on electricity bills.
Utility affordability is not a Democratic or a Republican issue. No family should have to choose between keeping the lights on or paying for groceries.
It's time we stop treating utilities like a political football and start treating affordability like the kitchen table issue it is, by making smart investments with strong oversight that prioritize people over profits.
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