Sierra Club — “Indiana regulators decline to scrutinize IPL coal practices but continue Duke review”

Catherine Morehouse, Utility Dive, June 9, 2020

Dive Brief:

• Indiana regulators last week denied Sierra Club’s motion to open a subdocket on Indianapolis Power and Light’s (IPL) coal plant operations, despite opening a subdocket for Duke Energy’s coal plant commitments in March.
• Testimony from the Sierra Club did not adequately take into account non-economic factors a utility must consider when self-committing, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) wrote in its order. “We find that price risk, reliability, and operational needs are also reasonably factored into the decision process.”
• Sierra Club says an inability to provide rebuttal testimony because of a hastened proceeding under COVID-19 guidelines prevented the group from responding in full to the utility’s testimony. The environmental group and Citizens Action Coalition (CAC) of Indiana are now focused on the Duke subdocket, which regulators opened based on evidence the utility lost $6.9 million over three months last year due to its coal plant commitment practices.