Source: PHOTO: Chris Davis/Urban One
STATEWIDE — Severe storms in late June not only killed someone and destroyed homes and businesses, but it also left people without power for days.
Now, one Indiana utility company will have to go before the regulatory commission.
“AES Indiana will follow and be available and do what we need to do and be open and transparent in addressing any concerns the IURC and others wanna ask,” says Kelly Young, director of public relations for AES Indiana.
The company will have to speak with the IURC, Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, September 11th to provide information detailing how AES responded during the severe storms of June 29th through July 4th. During that storm, multiple tornados touched down which resulted in one person losing their life and several properties being damaged.
Several AES Indiana customers complained about power outages that lasted several days.
Young tells IndyPolitics she understands customer complaints, but she says that severe storm was one that caught everyone off guard, “that storm on June 29th was one of severity that we haven’t seen in more than ten years. During that storm, we really saw a lot of damage to overhead distribution lines to trees falling on poles, trees falling on our lines.”
The IURC is also scheduled to meet with Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company, Duke Energy Indiana, Indiana Michigan Power, and Northern Indiana Public Service Company in September.
It has not been decided whether or not IURC will investigate AES over customer complaints.
Kelly Young says this is an opportunity to prove to the commission, and most importantly to customers, that AES Indiana is operating in the best interest.
“Our reliability has been questioned,” Young tells IndyPolitics, “it’s giving us the opportunity to be better, do better, and look at what we can so we can better serve our customers, which is always our top priority.”
Some 100,000 AES Indiana customers lost power during severe storms this summer.
