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IPL customers hold protest of proposed rate hike plan

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — IPL is asking for a rate hike, and several customers are less than pleased with the plan.

Local consumers and clean energy advocates held a holiday-themed protest at IPL’s headquarters on Monument Circle Thursday.

IPL said the increase is to cover the cost of replacing outdated coal plants with natural gas plants and that the average customer could expect to pay about $14 more per month.

The group at Thursday’s protest sang clean energy Christmas carols and held signs showing their disgust with the energy provider.

“We just want to take advantage of this beautiful day this Christmas season, in the idea that IPL wants to raise our rates in 2018,” said Mike Olles of Hoosier Interfaith Power and Light. “Why they still are burning coal at one of the most toxic coal plants in the country, the Peterburgh coal plant, which needs to be retired and replaced. It’s costing Indianapolis residents millions of dollars to burn coal there.”

The group says IPL is on the “clean energy naughty list.”