Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission

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The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) is the public utilities commission of the state of Indiana, led by five commissioners appointed by the governor.

Contents

The commission regulates electric, natural gas, telecommunications, steam, water and sewer utilities.

History

The commission was established by the Indiana General Assembly as the Railroad Commission in the late 1800s to regulate the railroads in the state. [1] On March 4, 1913, Governor Samuel M. Ralston signed the Shively-Spencer Utility Act giving it the additional authority to regulate electric, natural gas, water, private sewer, and telephone utilities along with common carriers (trucking) and renaming it as the Public Service Commission. The act replaced legislation from 1891 in which the state had given cities and towns the ability to contract with utilities for service and to set rates by local ordinance. Utilities with existing municipal franchises could surrender them and place themselves under the commission's regulation by accepting an "indeterminate permit". [2]

In 1987, the commission was given its current name of Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. [1]

Divisions

Electric

The Electric Division of the IURC regulates five major investor owned electric utilities: Duke Energy Indiana, Indiana-Michigan Power, Indianapolis Power and Light Company, Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO), and Vectren Energy Delivery of Indiana.

In addition, nine of the 72 municipally-owned utilities operating in Indiana remain under the Commission's jurisdiction for rate regulation: Richmond Municipal, Anderson Municipal, Crawfordsville Municipal, Auburn Municipal, Frankfort Municipal, Lebanon Municipal, Tipton Municipal, Knightstown Municipal, Kingsford Heights Municipal, and Greenfield Mills, Inc. Power & Light.

Natural Gas

The Natural Gas division regulates the rates, charges, and terms of service for intrastate gas pipelines and LDCs. It inspects federal all intrastate natural gas facilities in accord with federal safety regulations. Additionally, the Natural Gas division reviews gas cost adjustments (GCAs), financial arrangements, service territory requests, and assists in investigatory proceedings when these docketed proceedings are filed with the Commission. It also analyzes various forms of alternative regulatory proposals, such as rate decoupling, rate adjustment mechanisms, and customer choice initiatives.

Telecommunications

The Communications Division monitors regulatory proceedings and policy initiatives at the federal, state, and local levels to determine the impact of those policies. The division implements universal service programs and provides recommendations on applications for certificates of territorial authority for communications service providers and state franchises for video service providers. The Communications Division also resolves carrier-to-carrier disputes, manages policies regarding telephone numbering resources (pursuant to federal and state law), protects consumers from unauthorized changes to their service, and implements universal service programs.

Water and wastewater

The Water and Sewer Division regulates 89 of the 555 water utilities and 45 of the 547 wastewater utilities in Indiana. Although the IURC regulates only a fraction of the water utilities, these entities serve approximately 45% of Indiana's water consumers. Approximately 85% of Indiana customers, however, are served by non-jurisdictional wastewater utilities.

Consumer Affairs

The Consumer Affairs Division resolves customer complaints by ensuring utility compliance with Commission rules and regulations by investigating consumer allegations and issuing timely determinations. The types of issues handled by the Consumer Affairs Division include: extension of service and credit, deposits, billing, termination of service, customer rights, and utility responsibilities. [1]

The IURC Legal Division aids in the development of the commissions “Rules and Regulations Concerning Practice and Procedure” as well as “Rules and Regulations and Standards of Service” to govern each type of utility through Title 170 of the Indiana Administrative Code. These changes follow a rulemaking process which, if applied to Indiana Code, require approval from the Governor and Attorney General. [1]

Commissioners

The five commissioners are appointed by the governor for four-year terms. No more than three of the commissioners can be from the same political party as the governor. [1]

CommissionerAppointmentDeparture
Thomas Duncan19131917
John F. McClure19131917
Charles J. Murphy19131916
Charles A. Edwards19131919
James L. Clark19131919
Edwin M. Lee19161917
E.I. Lewis19171921
John W. McCardle19171932
William J. Wood19171918
Edwin Corr19171919
Paul P. Haynes19181921
Glen Van Auken19191923
Fred Bates Johnson19191921
Edgar M. Blessing19211923
George M. Darnard19211922
Maurice Douglas19211925
Oscar Ratts19221924
Samuel R. Artman19231926
Frank Wampler19231927
Frank T. Singleton19241932
Clyde H. Jones19251927
Howell Ellis19261933
C.F. McIntosh19271931
Harvey Harmon19271929
Jere West19291933
Harry K. Cuthbertson19311932
Ralph M. Young19321933
Perry McCart19331940
Samuel L. Trabue19331937
Moie Cook19331940
Fred F. Bays19371939
William A. Stuckey19391944
Frederick F. Eichhorn19411943
George M. Barnard19411944
George N. Beamer19431944
Hugh W. Abbett19441945
unknown19491953
Lawrence W. Cannon19441951
unknown
Roscoe P. Freeman19441945
unknown19491951
Leroy E. Yoder19451949
Lawrence E. Carlson19451949
Crawford F. Parker19511952
Wendell Tennis19511957
Wallace Weatherholt19521953
Warren Buchanan19531957
M. Elliot Belshaw19531957
Garland G. Skelton19571958
Ira L. Haymaker19571962
John W. Van Ness19571959
Leslie Duvall19581961
unknown19851989
Robert S. Webb19591961
unknown19711971
C. Patrick Clancy19611970
Merton Stanley19611967
Phillip L. Bayt19631969
Richard P. Stein19671970
John L. Ryan19691970
George B. Jeffrey19701971
David J. Allen19701975
William B. Powers19711982
W.W. Hill, Jr.19711974
Larry J. Wallace19741984
James M. Plaskett19751981
Peggy Boehm19811985
William W. Montgomery19821986
Michael G. Banta19841985
Willis N. Zagrovich19841989
Frederick L. Corban19841995
Karl O'Lessker19861990
Vicky A. Bailey19861993
James R. Monk19891993
G. Richard Klein19902000
Mary Jo Huffman19931998
John F. Mortell19941997
Camie J. Swanson-Hull19962004
William D. McCarty19972005
David W. Hadley20002006
Judith G. Ripley19982005
Gregory D. Server20052009
David Lott Hardy20052010
Jeffrey L. Golc20072010
Larry S. Landis20032014
James Atterholt20092014
David E. Ziegner1990Current
Carolene R. Mays20102015
Carol A. Stephan20142016
Angela Weber20142018
Jim Huston2014Current
Sarah Freeman2016Current
Stefanie Krevda2018Current
David Ober 2018Current

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "About the IURC". Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. December 17, 2020. Retrieved April 26, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. Rumer, Thomas A. (1983). Citizens Gas & Coke Utility : A History, 1851-1980. Indianapolis: Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library. pp. 81–82. Retrieved March 25, 2021.