Indiana Legislation "Urge[s]" Study of Customer Choice

A new Indiana law urges that the topic of electric customer choice be studied.

Specifically, enrolled Senate Bill 0560 states that, "The legislative council is urged to assign to the regulatory flexibility committee the topic of electric customer choice programs."

The legislative council, meaning that established under IC 2-5-1.1-1, is composed of sixteen members of the general assembly. Among other things, the council generally may on its own initiative or at the direction of the general assembly study subjects of interest and concern, and based on such a study, recommend such legislation as the welfare of the state may require, and direct standing committees of the senate or house of representatives, or appoint committees and subcommittees subject to the authority of the council, to carry out studies on subjects of interest and concern.

The regulatory flexibility committee means that established under IC 8-1-2.6-4, which was previously established to report on the telecommunications and video service industries.

If retail electric choice is assigned to the regulatory flexibility committee, enrolled Senate Bill 0560 provides that, "the regulatory flexibility committee shall issue a final report to the legislative council containing the regulatory flexibility committee's findings and recommendations, including any recommended legislation concerning the topic, in an electronic format under IC 5-14-6 not later than November 1, 2013."

The bill was signed by Gov. Mike Pence on April 30.

As defined by the bill, "electric customer choice program" means, "a program under which a customer of any class located in the service area of an electric utility may purchase electricity from a provider other than the electric utility in the service area."

Indiana currently has a natural gas customer choice program in place at NIPSCO