EVANSVILLE — Members of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission will be in town April 7 for a listening session on energy costs.
The event is set for 6 to 8 p.m. at Old National Events Plaza Exhibit Hall B in Evansville. There will be multiple sessions held around the state, including Indianapolis, Goshen, Terre Haute and more.
Officials are encouraging community members to attend. State Rep. Alex Burton, D-Evansville, stated in a news release he hopes more action comes from the IURC visiting Evansville.
“I’m looking forward to welcoming the IURC and Chairman Andy Zay to Evansville. Our energy costs have been burdensome for more than a decade, and they are negatively impacting our local economy,” Burton stated. “I’m a proud partner with the IURC, my colleagues in the legislature and the Braun administration to find long-term solutions that result in affordable energy bills, reliable energy delivery and strategic investments that shape energy policy for decades to come.”
Evansville Mayor Stephanie Terry also shared the listening session via social media, asking the public to come and share their experiences with the commission.
All of the listening sessions come after the IURC investigative inquiry into energy affordability held earlier this week.
According to a news release from the IURC, the listening sessions are the second phase of the commission’s strategy to talk about the underlying factors of energy costs.
“While each session will include a brief overview of the Commission, the goal is to gather information from customers directly regarding the state of energy affordability in Indiana,” the release states. “Customers are encouraged to bring copies of their energy bills.”
For those who cannot attend but want to comment, emails can be sent to IURCListeningSession@urc.in.gov.
“In my short time as Chairman of the IURC, my fellow Commissioners and I have heard from thousands of utility customers from all over Indiana that they are struggling to pay their energy bills,” IURC chairman Andy Zay stated in a news release. “These listening sessions are an opportunity for us to meet with people in their local communities to share some insights into the Commission and hear from our fellow Hoosiers.”
After the investigative inquiry and listening sessions, the IURC will decide any next steps. Any formal action taken by the commission must happen at the IURC’s weekly public meeting. Informal action can also be taken.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Residents invited to share impact of utility costs in Evansville
Reporting by Sarah Loesch, Evansville Courier & Press / Evansville Courier & Press
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