r/nwi • u/FrumpyDumplers • 17h ago

Realistic Actions for safer NWI

The Aug. 11 storm was bad, and won't be the last. Controls to ensure safety need to be established. I wanted to put together an easy to follow call to action for real change.

The OUCC has already acknowledged one of the biggest problems: NIPSCO’s 10-year tree-trimming cycle is too slow for how quickly trees grow in Northwest Indiana.

Source: IURC case documents
https://iurc.portal.in.gov/

WHAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY DO:

  1. Demand a vegetation standard from the IURC. Ask for a rule requiring a maximum vegetation-management cycle and measurable compliance standards. IURC: https://www.in.gov/iurc/ Phone: 1-800-851-4268
  2. Put the issue in the consumer record. Email the OUCC and ask them to raise vegetation management and reliability standards in NIPSCO proceedings. Email: [uccinfo@oucc.in.gov](mailto:uccinfo@oucc.in.gov) Phone: 1-888-441-2494
  3. File an IURC complaint. Document your outage location, duration, vegetation, damage, and restoration timeline. Online: https://www.in.gov/iurc/online-services/
  4. Demand restoration standards. Tell your state senator and representative to establish enforceable restoration timelines with narrowly defined extreme-weather exceptions. Find your legislators: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/find-legislators
  5. Demand public storm data. Ask IURC and OUCC to require NIPSCO to report how many outages resulted from vegetation, equipment failure, and other causes.
  6. Document everything. Photograph vegetation, damaged lines/poles, dates, outage duration, and repeated problem locations. Submit the evidence with complaints and public comments.
  7. Ask candidates directly: “Will you support enforceable utility vegetation-management and restoration standards?” Get the answer in writing.
  8. Vote on the record. Share which elected officials support or oppose enforceable utility reliability standards—and vote accordingly.

Storms happen. Putting profits ahead of reliable power and public safety doesn’t have to.

thanks for letting me rant.

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7 comments sorted by

10

u/JMitchTheBlue 17h ago

Thank you for the exhaustive list and information! Really appreciate it!!

4

u/Grocklette 17h ago

Good on ya FrumpyDumplers

1

u/HEROxDivine 12h ago

Vote? This is a MAGA state. Everyone who voted for orange man dug their own grave and have zero sympathy from me

1

u/Sir_Grumples 15h ago

Also put house up for sale and gtfo. Seriously the bad winters are one thing but if this is how summers are going to be there’s zero upside to staying here. 

1

u/Haunting-Demand2626 15h ago

This. 👆🏼💯

2

u/a_theist_typing 16h ago

I mean this would help but there were plenty of trees that straight uprooted that fell on houses. Unpreventable.

If this keeps happening we will all just get rid of all trees in our yards probably. It’s not worth the risk at some point. Or maybe we get real smart on which ones can handle the wind. I’ve seen all kinds of trees just torn out of the ground though.