Indiana Leaders Demand Accountability After NIPSCO's Prolonged Power Outage in Gary

Gary, Indiana – Residents, faith leaders and state officials are demanding accountability from Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) following a prolonged blackout that left thousands without power for more than a week.

As of Tuesday morning, fewer than 2,500 NIPSCO customers in Gary remained without power—more than 70 percent of the nearly 3,500 still affected across Northwest Indiana. The outage, one of the worst on record, has drawn criticism over the utility’s response time and vegetation management practices, which are now the subject of a class-action lawsuit.

Governor Mike Braun has ordered state utility regulators to investigate NIPSCO’s storm response and spending, calling the situation a “man-made crisis” rather than an unavoidable natural disaster. In a statement, Braun said the company had failed to meet its obligations to maintain service and restore power promptly.

Faith leaders, including Pastor Eric Boone of Tree of Life Missionary Baptist Church, described severe hardships faced by residents during the blackout. Boone said some elderly residents, unable to use air conditioning in 85-degree heat, relied on the church for shelter and support. Others lost their homes entirely.

The National Baptist Convention, representing nearly 40 Gary churches, condemned NIPSCO’s handling of the crisis, calling it a product of “corporate greed and environmental injustice.” The group demanded swift compensation for affected residents and reforms at the utility.

Mayor Eddie Melton, a former NIPSCO employee, criticized the prolonged restoration process. “I worked at NIPSCO for 15 years,” he said. “It does not take that long to turn the lights on.” Melton has called for a 60-to-90-day moratorium on power disconnections and clearer plans for future storm preparedness.

NIPSCO has denied allegations that its vegetation management contributed to the outages but faces a class-action lawsuit filed in Porter County Superior Court. The suit alleges that inadequate tree-trimming practices worsened the disruption.

Residents described chaotic conditions, with some neighborhoods isolated by fallen trees and others enduring extreme heat without electricity. Dale Pugh, a Gary resident, said his home became unbearably hot during the blackout. Latrice Farmer, who returned to find her neighborhood blocked by downed trees, helped elderly neighbors who went two weeks without power.

With most service restored, community leaders are shifting focus to accountability and long-term solutions. Boone said the crisis could mark a turning point in relations between NIPSCO and Gary residents.

“It shouldn’t be NIPSCO versus us,” he said. “We are better together, and this storm has fixed it for us to have a relationship that’s beyond them just reading meters and us paying bills.”