(La Porte County, IN) - A local official is calling on the governor to protect NIPSCO ratepayers.

 

La Porte County Commissioner Connie Gramarossa is asking the governor to appoint someone who will support ratepayers to the soon to be vacant seat of Utility Consumer Counselor.

 

She said the outgoing counselor, Bill Fine, failed to stand up to NIPSCO again not just on rate increases but its proposal to create a subsidiary company to provide power to data centers at the expense of ratepayers.

 

Gramarossa said county government has joined the Citizens Action Coalition and other groups to oppose establishment of the subsidiary.

 

She said La Porte County used to be able to count on the Utility Consumer Counselor to support NIPSCO ratepayers but not in recent years and hopes the governor fills the soon to be vacant position with a “real bulldog” who will do so again.

 

“For any governmental entity to stand up to NIPSCO, we need a Utility Consumer Counselor who stands with ratepayers and not with the big, deep-pocket-investor-owned utilities,” she said.