Ratepayer advocates in Indiana are celebrating a recent settlement with three large data centers and Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) that includes new protections for electricity consumers in the state. The settlement involves major players such as Amazon Web Services, Google, and Microsoft, who have planned significant investments in data centers in Indiana.
As part of the agreement, the data center companies will provide annual funding to support low-income customers in Indiana. The settlement also includes new contract, payment, and infrastructure improvement requirements to ensure that existing customers are not impacted by the influx of new customers requiring large amounts of power.
The terms of the settlement apply to industrial customers with high electricity needs, known as large load customers. These customers will have longer contract timelines, increased minimum charges, and new collateral requirements to ensure they can pay their bills.
Additionally, the settlement includes provisions for downsizing, exit fees, clean energy investments, and increased transparency in reporting on the utility’s spending to serve large customers.
Overall, the settlement has been praised by industry experts and advocates for its comprehensive and balanced approach to protecting consumers while supporting the economic development opportunities presented by the data centers. The agreement is expected to serve as a template for future policy discussions related to data centers and large load customers in Indiana.
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