Activist against CenterPoint interviewed for seat on Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission

EVANSVILLE – Before becoming involved in Direct Action Against Centerpoint Energy (DAACE) last December, activist Christopher Norrick didn’t know what the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission was.

But last month, he sat in front of a nominating committee to interview for the IURC’s vacant commissioner’s seat — a position on a board that he and fellow DAACE members have publicly criticized for nearly a year.

“When I saw (the seat) was opening up, after everything I’ve done with DAACE, just bringing all this public attention to what (the IURC is) and how much control that they have, I was like, well, I’m talking a good game, I’ll throw my name in. (I didn’t have) the expectation that I would even get an interview, honestly. It was just something that I could at least publicize,” said Norrick.

The position became available in May after former IURC commissioner David Ober announced he would be leaving to serve as vice president of taxation and public finance to the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

More:Consumer advocates say CenterPoint left $77 million in equipment off natural gas proposal

Norrick said he doesn’t want to the job, but wanted to use the opportunity as a platform to voice his concerns.

“I want to get some recognition that Southern Indiana is not being represented in this regulatory commission,” he said. “They hold sway over more money than the legislator does, and they’re not beholden to the people in any way. … They’re chosen by the governor and there’s just no accountability.”

The IURC, which is made up of five commissioners appointed by the governor, is responsible for approving or denying requests made by utility companies.

In Evansville, the committee has been scrutinized by consumer advocacy groups such as DAACE for allowing Centerpoint to raise natural gas distribution rates by 271%, and for approving the utility company’s unpopular request to replace its coal-burning plant with new natural gas combustion turbines.

Both issues were things Norrick discussed in his 20-minute virtual interview last Wednesday.

“I mentioned to the commission that there’s a lack of representation from especially this area, and I assume Northern Indiana too,” said Norrick. “… They asked me some changes I would like to see, but in my previous answers, pretty much the only thing I was talking about was changes I would like to see down here.”

He also said in his interview he’d like to see more performance-based regulation put in place, so utility companies aren’t as reliant on building infrastructure to make profits.

“A lot of the core problems are legislative,” he said. “The laws need to be changed.”

Norrick and six other men applied for the job, and everyone who applied was given the opportunity to interview. However, two of the candidates, including former Indianapolis mayor Greg Ballard (R), withdrew their applications prior to the interview process.

Following the interviews, the nominating committee recommended three candidates to Gov. Holcomb, who will then choose someone to serve the remainder of Ober’s term, which expires Jan. 31, 2024.

More:Letter: Indiana Legislature, IURC need house-cleaning over CenterPoint actions

Norrick was not among the three nominees.

The three men chosen were Chief Financial Officer of Fort Wayne City Utilities Justin Brugger, IURC Senior Administrative Law Judge David Veleta and Indiana House Republican Caucus Senior Legislative Assistant and Policy Analyst Lucas Wilson.

Despite not moving forward in the process, Norrick said he feels the experience was a success.

“My entire goal was to definitely at least talk to somebody in Indianapolis about what has been going on (in Evansville),” he said. “… I am not leaving Evansville. This is an Indianapolis job, and … that’s some of the problem. It’s tough to get representation at the top and the bottom of Indiana.”

Contact Lauren Craddock at lauren.craddock@courierpress.com or on Twitter @LaurenECraddock.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Activist against CenterPoint Energy interviews for seat on IURC