By CAROLENE MAYS
I have spent my career believing that public service is a calling, and that strong institutions are how we turn that calling into something that makes people’s lives better. When we are entrusted with the responsibility of public office, we have an obligation to use it well, by serving people, strengthening our communities, and leaving something better for the next generations.
I served six years on the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC), a bedrock institution with service at its core, created to stand between the power of large utility companies and the people who depend on them. It’s a job that is not always simple, but it is one that matters every day to every Hoosier.
I’ve seen the IURC at its best as it worked methodically through complex cases, issued well-reasoned orders, protected ratepayers, and attracted investment at the same time. During my tenure, the Commission built Indiana’s first statewide energy efficiency framework, reviewing utility plans designed to reduce bills for residential customers without sacrificing reliability. We laid the groundwork for the modern grid. We did it by following the evidence, respecting the process, and remembering how our decisions impact people.
That kind of steady, thoughtful work is something I am proud to have been part of. Our institutional stability is a core asset that brings people to invest here, build here and plan for their futures here because it is considered a place where long-term decisions are made seriously.
Indiana is at an extraordinary point. Record amounts of private capital are flowing into our state, drawn by our workforce, our infrastructure and our stability. So far this year, 69 businesses have made plans to locate or expand in Indiana, together committing to create over 5,000 new jobs with $437 million in new payroll for Hoosiers. This represents not only economic growth but also real opportunity for parents to get better jobs, workers to be closer to home and communities to invest in their futures.
Presently, the Commission has no shortage of consequential decisions in front of it. NIPSCO’s rate case, which directly affects the communities in northern Indiana that went dark this summer, will test whether regulators can balance affordability with the infrastructure investment those communities desperately need. Duke Energy’s ongoing proceedings raise similar questions about how Indiana attracts the generational capacity a growing economy demands.
Whether in the church, the public square, the Statehouse, or the Governor’s mansion, those entrusted with power have a responsibility to use it in service of the people they represent. Each of these cases matters as they present Indiana with the chance to demonstrate practical, responsible and service-driven leadership.
One with especially transformational potential is AES Indiana’s recently re-opened rate case where the Commission can take a limited look at new developments, including the pending acquisition by Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) of AES Indiana’s parent company.
The merits are worth engaging seriously. GIP has committed to significant investment as part of this transaction, the kind that upgrades transmission lines, improves reliability and helps make service more affordable. Attracting private capital of this scale to modernize Indiana’s grid is how we build infrastructure that makes life better for ordinary people, without compromising the local leadership and community presence that make AES Indiana a force for good in central Indiana.
This is bigger than one utility transaction. When capital of this magnitude chooses Indiana, it tells the world something about who we are: that we are open for business, that our institutions are trustworthy, and that the rules here are worth following. Employers of every kind are watching how Indiana handles this moment. Done well, these types of investments mean an Indiana better prepared for our children and grandchildren, and we have a responsibility to take it seriously.
In the coming months, the commission can reinforce the stability, fairness and willingness to work together that have brought Indiana this far as we work towards something bigger than ourselves. Strong institutions do not depend on everyone agreeing, I know that well. They depend on people trusting that they will be heard, the law will be applied faithfully and decisions will be made with the public interest at heart.
At its best, public service is an act of faith in one another. The integrity of how we reach decisions matters as much as the decisions themselves. As a legislator, I worked with Republican governors when I believed they were right. As a Commissioner, I served on a bipartisan body and earned the trust of colleagues across the aisle by leaving politics at the door. Service is bigger than party, and the responsibility to build a better Indiana belongs to us all.
The decisions made today will shape the opportunities we create and the legacy we leave for generations to come. Indiana’s best days are ahead. The Commission has a chance to help deliver them.
Carolene Mays is a former Indiana State Representative and former Commissioner and Vice Chair of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. She is the founder of Building Leaders and Legacies.
For more, visit indianapolisrecorder.com
