23 of 25 councilors oppose AES settlement
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Twenty-three of the 25 city-county councilors have signed on to a statement opposing a rate settlement with AES Indiana, News 8 confirmed Tuesday.
Notably, the list now includes Council President Vop Osili. Only Carlos Perkins and Leroy Robinson had not signed as of Tuesday afternoon.
Sixteen councilors first signed on to a joint statement condemning the settlement on Friday. Under the terms of the agreement, AES Indiana 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. Besides the council, the agreement has drawn criticism from consumer advocacy groups and the state’s utility consumer counselor…