The 2026 session is a "short" session, meaning the session must adjourn no later than March 14th, although due to the early start of the session, Statehouse leadership has announced their intent to adjourn the session on February 27th. 

The affordability crisis facing Hoosier consumers and the AI Data Center invasion is largely driving the conversation around energy and utilities.

Concerns around shortfalls in energy and capacity and rising energy prices and utility bills have motivated policy discussions around the need for new energy resources, competition in the energy markets, the assessment of sales tax on utility bills, and coal-fired power plant retirements, which you will see reflected in our Consumer, Energy, & Utility bill watch list.

2026 Highlighted Bills CAC Opposes

Senate Bill 258 and Senate Bill 277 revoke the authority of the IDEM Commissioner (Indiana Department of Environmental Management) to conduct public hearings about the environmental effects of the operations of proposed nuclear reactors. These bills also reduce state oversight of nuclear facilities by removing the current authority of IDEM to adopt rules and standards to protect Hoosier communities and residents from the hazards of radiation, and to issue permits related to those rules and standards.

Making it harder for the public to be informed and engaged about nuclear projects slated for their communities is the wrong direction for Indiana, especially right now. State politicians have spent the past few years paving the way for risky and expensive Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMRs). They have passed a series of bills that force utility customers to pick up the enormous financial cost and risk required to develop SMRs. And yet despite the significant handouts, no company has yet figured out how to successfully build and operate an SMR in the United States.

Reducing the state’s ability to regulate nuclear power plants and radioactive waste at the same time politicians want to increase nuclear power generation puts Hoosier communities at risk. Please use the form on this page to tell your state legislators to reject SB258 & SB277! Hoosiers need and deserve a voice when nuclear power plants want to locate in our communities.

2026 Highlighted Bill CAC Supports

Thanks to plenty of public pressure over the past year, legislators are finally working to address the utility affordability crisis during the 2026 Indiana General Assembly legislative session with House Bill 1002. Although there is still room for improvement, HB1002 is a good start at addressing some of the harmful effects unaffordable utility bills cause for vulnerable Hoosiers. Please use the form on this page to urge your state legislators to support and strengthen HB1002!

House Bill 1002 does the following:

• Reforms the rate case process by requiring that the electric utilities file three-year Multi-Year Rate Plans.

• Holds the utilities accountable through Performance Based Ratemaking. PBR allows the IURC to reward or penalize the utilities with small increases or decreases in their profit based on their performance around affordability and reliability.

• Requires the utilities to report customer data on a quarterly basis, including items like customer arrears, number of disconnects, number of disconnect notices, etc. - something CAC has been working on for decades.

• Requires the electric utilities to provide assistance to low-income qualified households. This is another thing CAC has been working on for decades, and the inclusion of this language is a big win. The bill currently leaves the design of these programs up to each individual utility, which we are working to improve. CAC strongly believes that the IURC, in concert with stakeholders, should take the lead on designing the programs. We need to be vigilant to make sure this language does not get removed or weakened.

• Creates a summer disconnection moratorium for low-income qualified households - yet another thing CAC has been working on for many years. The bill as introduced allowed for a moratorium only when an “extreme heat warning” was issued by the National Weather Service. The House Utilities Committee amended it to a moratorium for low-income qualified households from June 1st through September 23rd. The House then amended it to a temperature-based moratorium. We greatly prefer a month-based moratorium which would be consistent with our winter moratorium, and will continue working to improve this language.

• Mandates that all ratepayers be placed on “levelized billing," also known as "budget billing." CAC does not support this mandate and is working to get it removed.

As always, CAC will continue working tirelessly and diligently on policies designed to hold monopoly utilities accountable and speed Indiana's transition away from dangerous, dirty, and expensive fossil fuels and nuclear energy.

We remain committed to fighting for affordable utility bills with an eye towards vulnerable populations and moving policies that empower consumers to have more control over their energy costs, like community solar and customer-owned generation. Additionally, CAC will keep a watchful eye on legislative proposals that will have an impact on our environment, natural resources, water availability and quality, and our democracy.