The Northern Indiana Public Service Company has reached an agreement with a state agency that represents consumers and other consumer groups in its seven-year, $1.25 billion electric modernization case. The agreement with the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor, which still must be approved by state regulators would raise customers charges by a total of 7 percent by 2022. The settlement comes one month after the utility settled with consumer groups , cutting its requested rate increase to 5.4 percent from an original request of 11 percent. The rate increases would come in the form of surcharges of 1-percent per year that be subject to review.
