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SB257 • 2026

A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning utilities.

A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning utilities.

Labor
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Senator Chris Garten
Last action
2026-01-08
Official status
Introduced Senate Bill (S)
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details about the exact amount of power demand that triggers these rules or how it will impact electric companies' overall pricing strategies.

Rules for Electricity Rates

This bill prevents electric companies from raising rates if those increases are only due to serving data centers or large facilities with high electricity use and fewer than 50 full-time employees.

What This Bill Does

  • Prevents the Indiana utility regulatory commission from approving rate increases that are solely related to costs for providing service to data centers.
  • Prohibits rate hikes if they only cover costs for new or existing large facilities with high electricity demand and fewer than 50 full-time employees.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Electric companies in Indiana
  • Data centers and large facilities with high electricity use

Terms To Know

data center
A building used to house computer systems and storage for internet services.
electric utility service
The supply of electricity from a company to homes or businesses.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify the exact amount of power demand that triggers these rules.
  • It is unclear how this will affect electric companies' overall pricing strategies.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-08 Senate

    Authored by Senator Garten

  2. 2026-01-08 Senate

    First reading: referred to Committee on Utilities

Official Summary Text

A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning utilities.
Electricity rate increases due to data centers.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning utilities.

Electricity rate increases due to data centers.

Provides that the Indiana utility regulatory commission may not approve an increase in the rates and charges of an electric utility to the extent the increase is related solely to the electric utility's cost of providing electric utility service to: (1) a data center; or (2) a new or existing facility: (A) the electricity demand of which exceeds or will exceed a specified amount; and (B) that employs or will employ fewer than 50 full-time employees on the premises of the facility.