NIPSCO is a longtime South Shore Clean Cities member and partner, supporting a variety of our programs and events as well as our mission. The Northern Indiana Public Service Company, headquartered in Merrillville, Ind., is one of the seven energy distribution companies of NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI). With more than 821,000 natural gas customers and 468,000 electric customers across the northern third of Indiana, NIPSCO is the largest natural gas distribution company and the second largest electric distribution company in the state of Indiana.
NIPSCO supports electric vehicles and their charging infrastructure, a commitment strengthened through the IN-Charge Program. From 2012 to 2016, South Shore Clean Cities served as program administrator for NIPSCO’s IN-Charge At Home/Around Town Program. South Shore Clean Cities assisted NIPSCO in the deployment and management of more than 250 home charging stations and 159 public charging stations in 60 locations throughout Northern Indiana. Phase I of the project, which represented a $1 million NIPSCO investment, began in 2012 with the At Home program, which paid up to $1,650 for Level II home charging stations for the first 250 customers to enroll in the program. The At Home program provided free home overnight charging through January 2015 and 10 public charging stations at four NIPSCO locations.
Phase II of the project, which represented another $1 million NIPSCO investment, began in 2014 with the Around Town Program and provided incentives to commercial/industrial customers to help introduce electric vehicle charging across Northwest Indiana. NIPSCO covered the cost of a two-year subscription to ChargePoint Network service. Station owners were able to choose whether or not to charge for use after the free charging period expires in 2019.
NIPSCO’s Green Power Program allows NIPSCO electric customers to designate a portion of or their entire monthly electric bill to power generated by renewable sources, such as wind and solar.
When customers sign up, NIPSCO buys renewable energy certificates (RECs) on their behalf. It currently costs less than $2 more per month for the average home to receive 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources. This added cost is passed along to participating customers without any additional markup from NIPSCO.
NIPSCO electric customers may designate 25, 50 or 100 percent of their monthly electric usage to be attributed to power generated by renewable energy sources. Commercial and industrial customers have the added flexibility to designate 5 or 10 percent of their monthly usage.
For every unit of renewable electricity generated, an equivalent amount of renewable energy credits is produced. The purchase helps build a market for renewable electricity in the Midwest and may have other local and global environmental benefits such as reducing global climate change and regional air pollution.
NIPSCO Green Power Program RECs are Green-e Energy certified and meet environmental and consumer-protection standards set forth by the nonprofit Center for Resource Solutions. Learn more at https://www.green-e.org/.
Additionally, NIPSCO’s commitment to improving our region’s overall environmental quality extends beyond these specific highlights. From diversifying its electric supply portfolio to retiring 50% of its coal-fired electric generation by 2023, as well as the company’s investments in added environmental controls and offering programs that provide options for customer-owned renewable energy sources, NIPSCO is focused on balancing the needs of its customers and the environment. Air quality has continued to improve and emissions, including carbon dioxide, are continuing to decline. Learn more at NIPSCO.com/environment.
Learn more about NIPSCO’s Green Power Program at NIPSCO.com/Green.
