Council members condemn AES settlement
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — More than half of the Indianapolis City-County Council on Friday criticized a proposed settlement between the city and AES Indiana and demanded public hearings.
AES Indiana this week announced it has reached a settlement with the city in which it will raise residential rates by 6.51% over the next two years, 2.97% for small commercial customers, 3.72% for large commercial customers and 6.35% for municipal lighting. In exchange, the company agreed not to raise rates further until at least 2030 and to forego $47 million in late fees stemming from issues with its customer billing system.
In a joint statement Friday morning, councilors pointed to a recent resolution they passed urging AES Indiana to withdraw its rate request. They also said they are concerned by AES Indiana’s declining block rate structure, which they said charges everyday residents more for electricity while big users pay less per unit. In addition, councilors said they’re still unhappy about ongoing billing and reliability problems…