Activists from Across Indiana Demand State Leadership Reject Bailouts for Expensive Coal

In Indiana, activists delivered more than 1,300 petitions to Governor Mike Braun and Attorney General Todd Rokita, asking the state to challenge a Trump administration order forcing two coal-burning power units to keep running past their planned retirement. NIPSCO's Schahfer plant and Centerpoint's Culley plant were both supposed to shut down in December 2025, ending charges to customers for keeping them online. The federal order requires them to keep operating anyway.

The dispute matters for utility bills. NIPSCO has asked to collect $38 million from customers for just the first three months of the forced restart, even though the Schahfer plant reportedly hasn't been able to generate power since the order took effect. Of that amount, $2.8 million is described as pure profit for the utility. Activists argue that Hoosiers, who already pay some of the highest energy rates in the state, shouldn't have to cover the cost of keeping an aging coal plant on standby.

For homeowners in NIPSCO or Centerpoint territory, this is a sign that a coal-related charge tied to these plants may show up on bills rather than disappear as expected. Nothing has changed yet in terms of new fees, since this is a call for state officials to act, not a rate decision. But it's worth watching your utility bill and any rate case notices from NIPSCO or Centerpoint in the coming months, since costs tied to this order could eventually be passed through to customers.